Imagery drawn from the vortex of life

Italian artist Gianni Piva and his compatriot Gianfranco Meggiato, a sculptor, are in Dubai for Energenesi, an exhibition of their works at The Red Gallery.

Piva, who is visiting Dubai for the first time, believes the city is “alive and full of fantastic opportunities''.

Meggiato, whose works have been displayed at several shows in Europe finds great similarity in the cultures of the Arabian region and Italy. This is his second visit to Dubai.

Piva, who was born in Treviso in 1967, showed an aptitude for painting at an early age.

The artist, whose works are in public and private collections in Veracruz, Mexico, Moscow, Jeddah, Riyadh, Dubai, Kuwait, Odessa-Ukraine, Seoul, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Miami and Annapolis, has sold about 150 works in the Middle East.

“My birthplace is in the Mediterranean region. The attachment between my soul and my place of birth is unbreakable and has had a tremendous influence on my art. Especially, [works from] the Classical to the Renaissance [era] have made a great impact,'' Piva says.

Meggiato was attracted to sculpture when he was 15. “The contrast between white and black has always encouraged me to explore contradictions in life and find out the reasons behind them. In my works, I try to make this exploration the plot of my story,'' Meggiato says.

“In the course of such experiments, we figure out the balance between two opposites, which helps us to attain peace and overcome the obstacles of life.''

Piva believes his passion for colours is part of his soul. “I feel I was born an artist. I began using the paintbrush when I was 5. I was spiritually linked to my grandpa's figurative paintings, landscapes and other scenes,'' Piva says.

The artist says he is captivated by nature, the Mediterranean environment and Italy in particular.

“My artistic subconscience has always been linked to my surroundings. Therefore, such a connection [with the Mediterranean] has enriched my artistic imagination to produce pieces with the authentic colours of nature.''

Born in Venice in 1963, Meggiato went to the art college, Istituto Statale d'Arte art college for five years where he studied sculpture and pottery.

His works radiate uniqueness as the sculptor draws on the techniques and tradition of goldsmiths. Using his knowledge of chemistry, he has used gold and bronze to give shape to his artistic imagination.

“I believe much of today's art focuses merely on external looks, paying no attention to detail. It is crucial that you look into details to be sure about what you want.

"Unfortunately, we are now becoming less concerned about inner awareness and unwilling to undertake a journey into the real meaning of energy and life,'' Meggiato says.

Piva's paintings reveal a profound artistic vision that springs from the soul to explain itself in the revolution of vibrant colours.

The works depict nature's beauty, are marked by spiritual richness and deliver the message of hope. The artist's restless self strives to create paintings that are timeless and help make his name a part of the history of art.

“My brush listens to my inner voice and receives instructions to come up with images and embody an essential part of my soul. However, this is not a process that happens with planned thought. I do not go by preconceived ideas. I translate what comes from within.''

Meggiato believes art must stand for purity. “I use bronze, the strength of which represents the energy in us. We have complicated feelings — positive and negative — but we need not be afraid of them. We have to find inner peace, which would enlighten the rest of our life.''

Meggiato's sculptures in bronze are startling — ganglia of brain cells or vegetative growths are added to pieces that appear to be products of a happy poetic intuition.

Unlike many other sculptors, Meggiato doesn't work from sketches. He works directly on a wax model, following the image in his mind.

“My sculptures seek a new way of exploring growth and liberation from conditioning. It is not important where we arrive.

"It is important to look deep into ourselves, try to overcome obstacles and have a frank relationship with ourselves,'' says the sculptor. Piva is not worried by how viewers approach his work.

“Viewers can draw their own conclusions regarding my art — even though the idea that resulted in my work would have been entirely different. Therefore, each painting has a message that can be realised and visualised by viewers based on their analysis.''

Meggiato finds contemporary art is often unusual and meaningless. But this inspires him to use his work as a means to critique the state of affairs.

“I want to air my strong opinion [about contemporary art] through my work. The inside of many of my sculptures is black — this represents the difficulties within our subconscious.''

However, he also looks at the brighter side. “That [the difficulties] doesn't mean we remain in pain or uncomfortable situations forever. We have to overcome them and achieve success using our willpower. Pain has always been the road to success and happiness,'' he says.

“Life is not an easy journey,' Meggiato adds, “but we should not panic. There is light at the end. ... The lessons learnt through difficult experiences will help us achieve our goal.''

Energenesi is on at The Red Gallery, Dubai, until
March 19.