"The show opens with a triad of martyrs – Saint Sebastian, Saint Giorgio and Saint Lucia – the ghosts of my catholic education, depicted in unusual ways, painted with contemporary lines, naked bodies free from religious sin," muses Giovanni Leonardo Bassan on his powerful new exhibition, Martyrdom. Staged within the lofty, modernist confines of Dubai's The Mine gallery, Bassan's figurative paintings appear both at one and at odds with the space – exploring a fluid duality between classical religious iconography, Italian Renaissance techniques and politically charged subjects and situations of the present day. "The paintings expose the fragility of the world, wars with more losers than winners," explains the young Italian talent, who currently resides in Paris, in close proximity to his mentor Michele Lamy [muse, creative collaborator and partner of designer Rick Owens]. "I try, with visceral approaches, to use the work as a means of communicating everything that attracts me, but above all, to raise questions and offer a sense of hope," he adds.
Here, Bassan reveals the concept and creation behind his evocative works, and discusses why exhibiting in Dubai – a controversial choice, given the religious subtext of the show – was of paramount importance.
On becoming an artist...
"I have drawn since I was a child, but I suppose I really started to explore and express my artistic side during adolescence, or at least this is when it was manifested to the outside world. My head was always filled with thousands of ideas and projects, and I found that figurative art is the best way to express those ideas. To define myself an artist was quite challenging – maybe because I had too much respect for art, maybe because it was a matter of timing, or perhaps I was waiting for others to consider me in that way."
On his creative practice...
"My creative process is affected by my environment and the stuggles of our generation. Classical drawing influenced by the Italian Renaissance paintings, applied to contemporary subjects. I try, with visceral approaches, to use the paintings and drawings as a means of communicating everything that attracts me, but above all, to raise questions and offer a sense of hope."
On the inspiration behind Martyrdom...
"I suppose the inspiration for Martyrdom is our today. I try to draw what I know, what I have learned in the past and what I can visualise of the present, with a hopeful optimism for the future. The show opens with a triad of martyrs – Saint Sebastian, Saint Giorgio and Saint Lucia – the ghosts of my catholic education, depicted in unusual ways, painted with contemporary lines, naked bodies free from religious sin. The paintings' subjects expose the fragility of the world, wars with more losers than winners. The bodies are bluntly exposed, and details often evoke the cruelty of man towards their fellow men. With beauty and optimism, I hope to urge people to question our identity and responsibility as human beings."
On the controversial location of the show...
"Actually, this is the point of the show, or at least it plays a key part in it. I'm in Dubai telling these stories, influenced and filtered by my background and education. Here, I'm a stranger, a European traveller that's come with a message, lucky enough to have the chance to have my voice heard – having been raised in a completely different culture."
On his seminal works from the exhibition...
"Without any hesitation, my favourite is Sebastiano: this was the starting point for my mental creation about the exhibit, and is the favourite of my two closest friends too. Second has to be Rise of the Falling Hero, because this is the only piece in this selection that has been shown before, and the third one, Phoenicians Triptych is actually the last painting I completed before coming here to Dubai."
On his greatest artistic influences...
"I have a long list of creative influencers: from the great Italian masters, to contemporary artists that touch me deeply, like Michael Borremans, Adrian Ghenie, Victor Man and MIA. But the most prolific of them all is Michele Lamy; her visions are so fresh and real, I love her young heart and her rare talent for nuturing people. She gave me the push I needed in order to take myself more seriously, she believed in me and saw something in me from day one. She constantly influences my present with her life. She is one of the most amazing human beings I have ever met."
Martyrdom by Giovanni Leonardo Bassan runs at The Mine, Dubai from December 16, 2015 – January 16, 2016
