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Mauro Di Silvestre

1968
/
Rome, Italy

Mauro Di Silvestre was born in Rome, Italy in 1968. He has since studied and worked in Los Angeles, Rome, New York, and more. Though creating art is his passion, Di Silvestre has worked in a variety of creative positions. From 2007-8 he was a private art dealer in New York. Having exhibited in numerous international and local galleries and museums, the artist currently works and lives in Rome. 

 

Many theatre productions, television series, and movies feature many paintings of Mauro Di Silvestre. On top of these features, the artist was chosen by Steve McCurry to showcase his works and studio in an internationally screened Huawei commercial. The artist regularly talks about his works in both Italian and international art institutions as a guest. These include the Accademia delle Belle Arti of Tome and Frosinone, and Cornell. Recently, Luiss and Temple University are organizing a program of artist visits to his studio in Rome. 

 

Education 

  • 1990      Mauro Di Silvestre learnt to paint from Frank Gauna whilst living in Los Angeles for three years.
  • 1992      After returning to Rome, he does not enroll at the Academy of Fine Arts, and instead chooses to work with Piero Pizzi Cannella for several years.

 

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Each of Di Silvetre’s pieces demonstrates the dedication and care that he puts into his art. His style is highly emotive, drawing on notions of memory, time, life and death. The paintings created by the artist are intriguing and strange. Often depicting anthropomorphic figures that sits rather comfortably on the boundary between the human and inhuman, the human and the animal. Placed against colourful, vibrant, and often disorienting backgrounds, these figures sometimes stand out as a point of clarity for the viewer. Sometimes, these figures merges with the illusive backdrop they are set against, beckoning the viewer to solve visual puzzle set in front of them.

 

He has participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions over the span of his career, including but not restricted to: Nel Fondo Del Tempo, double solo show (with Francesco Cervelli), Mucciaccia Contemporary Gallery (2017); Please, solo show, Galerie L&C Tirelli, Vevey (2016); Io non ho paura, z2o Gallery, Rome (2015); and Sedia Sediola, Gallery Cellamare Int. 56, Naples (2013). Since his first solo show in 2007, Di Silvestre has exhibited widely and internationally, growing into the artist he is today. In 2001, he was awarded the 2nd prize in the City of Lissone Award (MI), and in 2004 won the prize for the Emerging Painters category of the Celeste Prize.

 

Di Silvestre’s creative process consists of seizing the significant moments in his life and impressing them onto paper or canvas. His canvas is something like the page of a diary, becoming a space in which Di Silvestre can paint the experiences of his everyday life. Some of his earliest works are inspired by photographs from his family albums; birthday parties, his family at the beach, and days spent in the garden, are transformed into magical and sentimental artworks.

 

As Di Silvestre began to develop his style, he explored myths, histories, superstitions, religions, fairy tales, astronomy, and natural history. Despite this wider exploration, his love of intimate storytelling remained – soon, Di Silvestre discovered that many of his interests were linked by the same two strands: time and memory. In his latest works, Di Silvestre paints early images of himself and his family through a nostalgic lens, considering how things have remained the same and how they have changed. His paintings display his own struggle with human representation, and his attempts at portraying something as large as life on something as small as a canvas. Di Silvestre’s work dwells on vast questions about life and death, but often does so in a playful manner. Through the use of bright colours and heavy irony, Di Silvestre disguises his central message in a cloak of fun. It is up to the viewer, therefore, to discover the darker meanings within his works.

Selected Events

Solo Exhibitions 

  • 2019-20     “Re-Cordaris, – Contemporary Italian Painting, Act I”, by Silvestre-Botticelli, Galerie Exit Art Contemporainm, Boulogne, France
  • 2017       “Nel Fondo del Tempo”, Mucciacia Contemporary, Rome, Italy
  • 2016       “Please”, Galerie L&C Tirelli, Vevey, CH
  • 2015       “Io non ho paura”, Galleria z2o, Rome, Italy
  • 2013       “Sedia sediola – Una specie di retrospettiva”, curated by Fiorenzo D’Avino and Sabrina Vitiello, Cellamare Interno 56, Naples, Italy
  • 2011        “Simultaneità degli opposti”, Mauro Di Silvestre / Foschini & Iacomelli, curated by Maria Chiara Valacchi, Bianca Arte Contemporanea, Palermo
  • 2010        Di Silvestre / Ravn, text in catalogue by Marco Tonelli, Z2O Galleria | Sara Zanin, Rome, Italy
  • 2009        “Pareti, parati e parenti”, curated by Martina Cavallarin, Galleria Traghetto, Venice, Italy
  • 2007         “Lontano da casa”, curated by Giancarlo Buontempo and Gabriella Lonardi Buontempo, Spazio Millesimato, Montalcino
  • 2007         Mauro Di Silvestre, text in catalogue by Achille Bonito Oliva, Z2O Galleria | Sara Zanin, Rome, Italy

 

Group Exhibitions 

  • 2022         “Mari e Terre di Confine”, Augusta, SR
  • 2021          “Carta Bianca – Una nuova storia”, the Civic Museum, Gigi GUadagnucci, Massa, MS
  • 2020         “Le altre opere – Artisti che collezionano artisti”, the Museum of Rome in Trastevere 
  • 2019          “Cabine d’artista / Abbi Cura”, curated by Paola Pallotta
  • 2019          “Réalités plurielles”, collective exhibition curated by Catherine Tirelli, Vevey, CH
  • 2019           Endecameron2019 – Le città invisibili (Artist’s Residence), curated by Enrico Pozzi and Cristina Cenci, Rocca Sinibalda Castle, RI
  • 2019           “Allunare Infinito”, curated by Alberto Dambruoso, MACA, Museum of the Academy of Fine Arts in Frosinone
  • 2019           “Essere // Non essere – Vittime civili di guerre incivili”, curated by Romina Guidelli, Museum of Civilisation, Rome, Italy
  • 2019           “BRIAS – International Art Symposium”, curated by Tima Jam, Istanbul Suites Hotel, Istanbul, Turkey
  • 2018           “Litografia bulla – Un viaggio di duecento anni fra arte e grafica”, Central Institute for Graphics, Rome
  • 2017            “Schermi Urbani”, curated by Gianluca Marziani, City of Spoleto in collaboration with Palazzo Collicola Arti Visive, Spoleto
  • 2017            “Ricognizioni – Linguaggio del Contemporaneo dai BoCs”, curated by Alberto Dambruoso, Cosenza
  • 2017            “Rouge et Blanc”, Galerie L&C Tirelli, Vevey, CH
  • 2017            “Viaggiatori sulla Flaminia – Ibis Redibis”, curated by Stefano Di Stasio, Bevagna, PG
  • 2017            “50x50x50”, curated by Shara Wasserman, Temple University, Rome, Italy
  • 2016            “Anni Zero”, curated by A. Dambruoso, Temple University, Rome Campus, Rome, Italy
  • 2016            “Uno di Uno, A proposito di serigrafia”, curated by Vincenzo Rusciano, Spazio NEA, Naples, Italy
  • 2016            “Sei Pittori Sei Anni Dopo”, curated by Lorenzo Canova and Gianrico Battista, Piernicola Maria Di Iorio, Civic Gallery of Contemporary Art Palazzo Montalbò, Casalciprano, CB
  • 2015             “Imago Mundi – Luciano Benetton Collection”, Giorgio Cini Foundation, Venice, Italy
  • 2015             “Eolie 1950-2015 mare motus”, curated by Lea Mattarella and Lorenzo Zichichi, Castello di Lipari, Lipari, ME
  • 2015             “Sé-gni”, curated by Giorgia Calò, works of contemporary art for the fundraising of IIFCA, Galleria Riccardo Crespi, Milan, Italy
  • 2014             “9TY8 Italian Contemporary Artists”, Spazio Cerere, Rome, Italy
  • 2014             “Polvere negli occhi, nel cuore sogni IV”, Permanent Collection of Liceo Bafile, L’Aquila
  • 2014             “La Grande Illusione”, Temple University, Gallery of Art, Rome, Italy
  • 2013             “‘E Curti – Iconografia di una storia”, Galleria Cellamare Interno 56, Naples, Italy
  • 2013             “Amor Sacro: Santa Anna rivisitata”, curated by Luca Barreca, the Civic Museum, Medieval Cstle of Castelbuono, PA
  • 2013             “Interni e Memorie”, curated by Valentina Casacchia, Edward Cutler Gallery, Milan, Italy
  • 2012             “PPP Una Polemica Inversa, Omaggio a Pier Paolo Pasolini”, curated by Flavio Alivernini, Palazzo Incontro, Rome, Italy
  • 2012             “A piedi scalzi”, curated by Roberto 20e Valentina Gramiccia, La Nuova Pesa, Rome, Italy
  • 2012             “XLV PREMIO VASTO – Percorsi di figurazione”, curated by Carlo Fabrizio Carli, Vasto, CH
  • 2012             “Un mosaico per Tornareccio, Tornareccio (Chieti)”, curated by Guglielmo Gigliotti
  • 2012             “A piedi scalzi, Brancaleone”, curated by Roberto e Valentina Gramiccia, Rome, Italy
  • 2012             “Portonaccio” – Artists in condominium, Open Studios, ex-warehouses in Via Arimondi 3, curated by Achille Bonito Oliva
  • 2012             “Five Cities Five Curators, mostra itinerante in 5 città”, curated by Alberto Dambruoso, CIAC, Castello Orsini, Genazzanom RM
  • 2011              “Five Cities Five Curators, mostra itinerante in 5 città”, curated by Alberto Dambruoso, Sangsangmadang Building, Seoul, Korea
  • 2011              “Seguendo il cammino di Marco Polo – Artisti italiani ad Hang Zhou”, (Artist’s Residence), Hang Zhou, China; exhibition in Rome, Venice, and Hang Zhou
  • 2011              “L’intreccio dei viaggi – LVI Mostra Nazionale Premio città di Termoli”, curated by Lorenzo Canova, Termoli, CB
  • 2011              “Post Printing”, curated by Antonello Tolve, Archivio dell’Architettura Contemporanea, Salerno  
  • 2011              “Via Arimondi”, curated by Shara Wasserman and Mauro Di Silvestre, Temple Gallery, Temple University, Rome, Italy 
  • 2011              “Acthung! Achtung!”, curated by Micol Di Veroli e Barbara Collevecchio, Ex Gil di Roma 
  • 2010              “Casalciprano – Wall drawings”, Electronic Arts Archive, Laboratory for Contemporary Art, Univerity of Molise, Campobasso 
  • 2010              “Che cento fiori sboccino…”, curated by Roberto Gramiccia, The Nuova Pesa Centre for Contemporary Art, Rome, Italy
  • 2010              XIV Biennale of Contemporary Sacred Art, The Evangelical Beautitudes, Stauròs Museum of Contemporary Sacred Art, Isola del Gran Sasso, Teramo 
  • 2010              “Ab Ovo 2, L’origine e la forma”, curated by Flavio Alivernini, Aldobrandini Stables, Frascati, Rome, Italy 
  • 2009              “Venticinque tondi tondi”, Galleria Maniero, Rome, Italy 
  • 2009              “Ab Ovo. All’origine della forma”, curated by Flavio Alivernini and Alessandra Caponi, Studio Abate, Rome, Italy 
  • 2009              “Que du papíer”, Galerie Placido, Parigi 
  • 2009              “Ditalia, Contemporanei 2009”, collectively curated by Maria Chiara Valacchi, Modigliani Civic Art Gallery, Follonica, GR
  • 2009              “ARTABÙ. Icone della trasgressione”, curated by Salvatore Colantuoni, Giffoni Film Festival, Convento San Francesco, Giffoni, SA
  • 2009              “Sursum corda”, curated by Cinzia Fratucello, Interior Twenty-Two Contemporary Art, Rome, Italy 
  • 2009              “Echi futuristi – Echos futuristas”, curated by Marco Meneguzzo, the  Municipal Museum “Dr. Genaro Pérez”, Córdoba, Argentina, giugno 
  • 2009              “Ad Memoriam. Momenti, ricordi e visioni su tela”, curated by Stefano Elena, Studio Soligo, Rome, Italy 
  • 2009              “A Bartolo”, curated by Achille Bonito Oliva, Sala delle Capriate, Cloister of Bramante, Rome, Italy 
  • 2009              “Incontri nr. 2 Italia – Ungheria”, curated by Loránd Hegyi, Accademy of Ungheria in Rome, Italy 
  • 2009              “Donne di Roma”, curated by Giuseppe Cerasa, Auditorium Parco della Musica, Rome, Italy 
  • 2008              “Natura e Arte in Certosa: Ortus Artis e Fresco Bosco”, curated by Achille Bonito Oliva, Certosa di San Lorenzo, Padula, SA
  • 2008              “Collezione Farnesina Experimenta”, curated by Lorenzo Canova, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Piazzale della Farnesina, Rome 
  • 2008              XV Quadrennial of Art in Rome, curated by C. Bertola, L. Canova, B. Corà, D. Lancioni, C. Spadoni, Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome  
  • 2008              “I colori di Roma”, curated by Giuseppe Cerasa, Auditorium Parco della Musica, Rome 
  • 2007              “Cantiere in Corso”, curated by Lorenzo Canova and Flavia Monceri, University of Molise – ARATRO, Campobasso 
  • 2007              “Sottovetro”, curated by Pier Paolo Pancotto, Cafè Dagnino, Galleria Esedra, Rome
  • 2007              “Visioni e Illusioni. Il realismo visionario nella pittura italiana moderna e contemporanea”, curated by Silvia Pegoraro, Castello Cinquecentesco, L’Aquila 
  • 2007              “On the edge of vision – New idioms in Indian & Italian contemporary art”, curated by Lorenzo Canova and Rajeev Lochan, Victoria Memorial Museum, Calcutta  
  • 2006              “O mia cara trementina”, Romberg Contemporary Art, Latina  
  • 2006              “Pittura elettrica 2”, curated by Lorenzo Canova, GiaMaArt Studio, Vitulano, BN  
  • 2006              “Pittori al muro”, curated by Marco Tonelli, Attic Gallery of Fabio Sargentini, Rome 
  • 2006              “Mito e velocità”, curated by Massimo Scaringella, Manege of the Tsars, Moscow  
  • 2005              “Colazzo-Di Silvestre-Nardi”, Galleria Maniero, Rome
  • 2005              “Plotart Europe”, curated by Gianluca Marziani and Massimo Lupoli, Rar Gallery, Spijkenisse, Holland  
  • 2006              “Forza motrice”, curated by Fabio Sargentini and Marco Delogu, Officine Trambus, Rome
  • 2006              “S/AGO/ME 547”, curated by Paola D’Andrea and Domenico Giglio, Via Nazionale Tunnel, Rome
  • 2004               “MATCH. Critica a confronto”, curated by Lorenzo Canova and Marco Tonelli, Galleria Russo
  • 2004               “Cortilarte: La notte bianca”, curated by Valentina Casacchia, Piazza dei Sanniti, San Lorenzo, Rome
  • 2004               “Faccia a faccia – Premio Camposauro”, curated by Lorenzo Canova, Complex of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Vitulano, BN 
  • 2003               “Pagine nere”, curated by Fabio Sargentini, Galleria L’Attico, Roma
  • 2003               “Inchiostro indelebile – Inchiostro d’artista”, curated by Domenico Giglio, MACRO, Mattatoio di Testaccio, Rome
  • 2002               2002 Art Box, a cura della Fondazione Volume!, Centro per l’Arte e la Cultura “A. Capezzano”, Rende, CO
  • 1999               Arte 2000, Temple Gallery, Temple University, Rome

 

Collaborations 

Summer 2009:

Mauro collaborated with director Sergio Rubini as a painter and consultant on L’Uomo Nero, 2009. This prompted further collaboration with directors and set decorators. Di Silvestre’s paintings have been used in films such as Sergio Rubini’s “Colpo d’Occhio” and “Dobbiamo parlare” and Marco Ponti’s “Passione Sinistra”, and in Italian TV series like “Una famiglia Italiana” (2015), Rocco Schiavone” (2018), “Nero a Metà 2”, and “Sei Bellissima” (2019) for RAI television. 

 

April 2017:

Created stage backdrop for the play “Qualche volta scappano”, directed by Pino Quartullo. 

 

December 2020:

Collaborated as a prop master with American director Abel Ferrara in the movie Zeros and Ones. From January 2021 he often collaborated with actor and painter Matt Dillon in his Studio in Rome. Some of Mauro’s paintings are used in one of the episodes of Italian tv series D.O.C..

 

March 2022:

At the Teatro Golden in Rome, the play  “Love-Match” by Andreozzi & Vado is entirely decorated with giant images of his paintings. In the same month, the American television series “Gossip Girls” asked one of his paintings to be part of a scene in one of the episodes filmed in Rome.

 

Art Residencies 

  • 2003          Artist Residencies in Como, Italy at Ratti Foundation
  • 2015           BOCS in Cosenza
  • 2019           Blue Rhino Art Symposium in Istanbul, Endecameron19, in Rocca Sinibalda, RI 
  • 2022           Azerbaijan for The Susa Artcamp in Susa and Baku.

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