Iavazzo & Imperiale | Unveiled | July 2019

SeeBay Hotel and Rome contemporary art gallery RvB Arts are pleased to present: UNVEILED, an exhibition featuring the sculptures of VITTORIO IAVAZZO and the paintings of FABIO IMPERIALE.

Fugitive women, who seem to conceal a secret from the flat surface of the canvas; faces and bodies with ancient forms; sculptures at times rounded, at times fragmentary, which challenge the principles of stasis and equilibrium; the desire to breathe new life into old and cast-off materials… There are many points of contact that unite the work of young Neapolitan sculptor Vittorio Iavazzo and Roman painter Fabio Imperiale, but above all there is the intention of bending the given material to their will to probe the most profound aspects of human nature, in its complexity and ungraspability.

For both artists, paper in its various forms (postcards, newspapers and magazines) plays a fundamental role in shaping visions and volumes, and, wrenched from oblivion, is reused as an instrument of art, with ecological ends too. Their figures thus blend the detritus of history and memory, shreds of daily life and moments of fragility, personal feelings and the collective fate of humanity. The women of Imperiale elude visual contact with the observer, while Iavazzo’s surfaces become rough and rippled, suggesting a universe of underlying emotions that the artist’s attentive eye strives to reveal.

Born in Naples in 1991, Vittorio Iavazzo graduated in Illustration from the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples and subsequently specialized in graphic art. Iavazzo’s sculptures, made principally from paper mache and polyurethane resin, combine traditional and modern techniques. His use of recycled materials is based on concern for environmental issues and the colourful, ‘pop’ impact of his creations gives them a further contemporary edge. At the same time, Iavazzo emphasises technical mastery and emotional connection and his fragile, fragmentary human figures evoke the rich artistic history and traditions of his country.

Born in Rome in 1981, Fabio Imperiale studied as a graphic designer before changing direction and devoting himself to art. Imperiale has developed a distinctive style centering on themes of solitude and alienation. Preferring a subdued palette and a pale background, the artist typically depicts his subjects from behind, preserving their anonymity. In his latest works, Imperiale focuses on the female form, captured in moments of intimacy. The occasional use of antique paper, vintage postcards and old envelopes as a support creates an intersection of past and present and reinforces the sense of his nudes as metaphors for the fragility and transience of existence.

Rome-based gallery RvB Arts specializes in contemporary art by young, emerging Italians. Gallery owner Michele von Büren finds her thrill in the hunt and the discovery of new artists on the rise with something fresh and original to offer. Her ability to catch-and-release talent is critical to the success of her gallery and her collection of painters, sculptors and photographers are promoted through regular, monthly exhibitions.

Luisa Grigoletto