Artist

Kemp integrates contemporary art into its digital identity through a rotating selection of artists.

Biography

Born in Naples in 1955, Massini relocated to Treviso in the early 1980s, after completing his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples in the mid-1970s. He now lives and works in Treviso, Italy. His early exposure to both classical traditions and modernist movements laid the groundwork for his innovative approach to painting and mixed media. His art is characterised by rhythmic patterning, intricate surfaces, and a meticulous layering of pigments and materials, resulting in paintings that verge on the sculptural — rich in both visual and tactile depth.

Massini’s style defies easy classification. Describing his approach as “meta-historical,” he conjures a visual realm that fuses timeless iconography with contemporary material processes. Ethereal church spires, blossoms, maritime vessels, vials, amphorae and antique goblets appear against matte, lacquered backdrops, transforming everyday or folkloric subjects into enchanted forms. His compositions pulse with energy, drawing the viewer into a dialogue between simplicity and complexity, repetition and variation, chaos and order.

Central to Massini’s artistic philosophy is his meditative process. He engraves fine, repetitive lines and curves into each surface with near-trance-like focus, reflecting on universal symbols that transcend time and space. This deep engagement with the physicality of the medium produces works that feel experiential as much as visual − compositions that echo natural cycles and invite quiet contemplation.

Massini’s work has been featured in numerous international exhibitions, including Cassina Projects, Forma Gallery, Paris (2023); Kunsthalle Budapest, Hungary (2005); MAMbo – Museo d’Arte Moderna di Bologna, Italy (2003); and the Museum der Moderne, Salzburg, Austria (2000), among others.

“Sono nato nella casa dei miei nonni in piazza Cavour, a Napoli, il 13 aprile 1955, a poche centinaia di metri dal Museo Archeologico e dall’Accademia di Belle Arti. Proprio in quella scuola ho fondato un gruppo di artisti poi noti come Ambulanti con i quali ho esposto alla Quadriennale di Roma del 1975 e alla Biennale di Venezia nel 1976.

Oggi 12 immagini del mio lavoro di quel tempo sono in permanenza alla Farnesina…….cercavo nello spazio urbano un carattere capace di accendere la riflessione sul senso delle cose. Dipingevo oggetti molto curati perché proprio nella cura traevo la massima relazione con gli altri, cura, accordi cromatici e forme originarie……….tutto questo si è trasferito in centinaia di dipinti che hanno animato il mio mondo. Certo, esprimere il proprio cuore è talmente arduo tanto da poter dire: “il mio lavoro è stato come un affaccio alla finestra mentre le mani della dea bendata mi socchiudevano gli occhi”.

– Claudio Massini