White Belief. 57″ x 40″. Mixed Media

PATRIZIA CASAGRANDA
Patrizia Casagranda of German-Italian background lives and works in Germany, also in the Netherlands and India. Her series Here and now are inspired by people living in extreme poverty yet managing to preserve their sovereignty and lust for life. In her travels to the poor regions of Northern India, she related with young women who collect garbage that, despite hardships, exude an amazing level of calm and cheerfulness, overcoming difficult living conditions with self-confidence, pride and joy of being, focusing on the present and solidarity, living as if each day was the last. Patrizia links her conceptual
concerns with an artistic and realistic design. Her symbiosis captures viewers making them think on the philosophy of beauty, meaning of life and global justice. After defining each face, she first designed a background, then applied collage, graffiti, stencil art and painting over it. The final result is a complex artwork, based on the trash collecting, but also representing Indian culture and the women.

Red Belief. 40″ x 40″. Mixed Media

Patrizia said: “I could not believe that these gorgeous women actually live by collecting garbage and feed their families also. Because of this permanent existential threat, they move on a tight rope between life, survival, and disaster. Everything is focused on the here and now. I was fascinated by this unconditional confidence in the future and almost energetic Joie de vivre.”
Art Historian K. Weeke: “Casagranda creates expressive connections through the coalescence of collage, painting, and graffiti, the complexity she thus achieves in her paintings is fascinating. At first sight, the works appear very illustrative and aesthetic. However, the deceptive use of materials unveils a continuous array of new levels and perspectives; the fragility of the seemingly crumbling layers of paint, the lace and fibers incorporated, as well as the relief-like impasto brushstrokes merge into a symbiosis of
ancient murals from a long past epoch with that of contemporary modern art. Through the apparent weathering of her works as well as random corrosion processes, damaged metal, torn and yellowed paper, and structures, which are reminiscent of crumbling plaster and decay, Patrizia portrays a transitory world; however, it is one that also encompasses a piece of eternity. Looking upon these charming women‘s portraits, you are led to believe that they have originated from an alternate bygone era and world, although they clearly depict the faces of modern young women. Layer for layer, they reveal their soul to the observer and what lies beneath. You can read these paintings; you can wander
through them and even lose yourself in them. They tell stories from The Thousand and One Nights, a quote from fairy-tale worlds and mythological legends and play with the contrast between transience and modernity. What is most important in this work is the use of strong symbolism, whose very meanings the artist does not deny us. It becomes obvious that there is a strong interaction between the women who are portrayed and the surrounding symbolic world.”

Blue Belief. Mixed Media. 55″ x 40″

Solo Exhibitions: 2019, Neue Kunst Gallery, Karlsruhe; Part2Gallery, Düsseldorf. 2018, Galerie Mönch, Bremen; Galerie an der Zitadelle, Jülich; Galerie Palz, Saarlouis. Recent Group Exhibitions: 2019, Art Center Berlin; Artgallery Wiesbaden. 2018, Galerie Art15, Bremen; Galerie K, Luxembourg; Artgallery Wiesbaden; Art Life Gallery, Saint-Raphaël, Côte d’Azur, France; Gallery Nordenvind, Denmark; Roccart gallery, Florence, Italy; Galerie Lauth, Ludwigshafen; Neue Kunst Gallery, Karlsruhe; Museo di Gonzaga,
Mantova, Italy; Architekturbiennale, Venedig, Italy; Steinberger Galerien, Langenargen. 2017, Galerie Bruno Massa, Paris, New York; Museum of Contemporary Art, Beijing, China; Bilder Bethge, Erfurt; Voigt Gallery, Nuremberg; Pashmin Art Gallery, Hamburg; Galerie an der Zitadelle, Jülich; Galerie Luzia Sassen, Cologne; Woodbine contemporary arts, Uppingham, UK; Galerie Art15, Bremen; Galerie Palz, Saarlouis.
Fairs: 2019, Art Fair Herning; Art Genoa; Art Innsbruck; Art Karlsruhe; C.A.R. Essen; Artmuc München; AAF Hamburg; Art Lausanne; Luxembourg Art; WiKAM Wien; Art Wien; StART Straßburg. Prizes/Nominations: Artprize artbox gallery Zurich, Swizzerland; Artbox projects NY; Artprize Augsburg Lechhausen; Artprize Bruchhausen-Vilsen, Germany; Artprize Stadtgalerie Wörth.

For more information visit: http://www.artsantafe.com

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