Self-portrait (Blue Monsters), 2023

Patrizio di Massimo, Self-portrait (Blue Monsters), 2023; Oil on linen, 84 × 64 cm

Self-portrait (Blue Monsters) by Patrizio di Massimo shows himself surrounded by a cast of blue monsters. They whisper in his ear, look enviously at the viewer and show their sharp claws as they pose around the unperturbed artist. The artist’s own posture and settled gaze are reminiscent of a Renaissance portrait, whereas the monsters offer something of the Surreal.

Over the past decade, di Massimo has developed a figurative aesthetic that emphasizes the textual element that makes each figure unique. The artist often lives out his imagination on canvas, painting the both uncanny and grotesque, if not the awkward.