Domenico Bianchi

About

Working in wax, precious metals, wood, and oil paint, Bianchi laboriously pours, carves, shapes, and successively layers molten materials by hand into graceful, organic, abstract shapes, which then harden to become a multi-sensory paintings.

Born in 1955 in Rome, Bianchi became one of the emerging artists of La Nuova Scuola Romana, where he exhibited his work alongside fellow Arte Povera artists such as: Jannis Kunellis, Mario and Marisa Merz, and Michelangelo Pistoletto, amongst others. Bianchi was specifically influenced by these artists’ artistic approach to spatiality, which still influences his current practice.

Bianchi is also influenced by light, and the lines and patterns it can form in both shadows and illuminations. He creates his works organically, without a pre-determined pattern or shape in mind. He states: “the shape of the artwork does not rely on ideal geometry, but an abstract project which allows itself to be determined by the technique.”

Bianchi’s works often feature circles and spheres representing infinity and perfection, while allowing for gestural strokes and slight variations of the hand. Working on large surfaces, the compositions of Bianchi’s works envelope the viewer and become reverential entities. The use of wax in paintings itself, is a nod to the artist’s heritage, as it can be traced to the encaustic painting of the Roman period.