Now making his Finnish debut, Gioele Amaro (b. 1986) defines himself as a digital painter who works with pixels instead of a paintbrush. His art pushes the boundaries of painting by striking up a dialogue between traditional media and new technologies. Amaro’s canvas-printed digital compositions stretch the definition of what is traditionally conceived as a painting. His art emanates from the virtual world, entering reality as physical objects that challenge the very notion of what a painting is supposed to be.

Reflections play a key role in Amaro’s paintings. The artist explores the various meanings of reflections both on a cerebral and material level. He describes paintings as “altars” for prayer – not the traditional devotional variety, but the modern-day secular worship of such things as physical beauty, aesthetics and fashion. Amaro’s paintings are also influenced by the spirituality of Mark Rothko’s (1930-1970) art. Beyond the intermingling of the real and the virtual, the interesting thing about Amaro’s art is its citational complexity and his use of forms and allusions that connect his oeuvre with the continuum of art history.

Image: Gioele Amaro: „SummarySumerianSummer“, 2023, ink and varnich on canvas, 120 x 79 cm, Courtesy: the artist.