Giuseppe Barilaro Studio House
Location CENTRO
In the contemporary art scene, Giuseppe Barilaro stands out as an artist capable of a painting practice that is dense with emotion and meaning.
This young painter from Calabria distinguishes himself through a personal visual language that, despite its expressive aggressiveness, manages to evoke a sense of extraordinary harmony and establish a deep connection with the viewer.
His bold, incisive, and provocative gestures compel us to confront the complexity of the human condition. Pain and beauty embrace, revealing themselves to a contemporary society that is oversaturated and unfiltered.
Barilaro narrates an internal struggle, a tension between chaos and order, which he faces with courage.
It is impossible not to recognize the influence of masters like Francis Bacon; Barilaro plays with saturated colors in a way that resembles a kind of inner dance, where each splash of color becomes a medium of dialogue between artist and observer.
Here, art is not an aesthetic act but rather an invitation to partake in a shared experience. The viewer is no longer a passive spectator but a participant involved in a process of exploration.
The current exhibition, Vertigo, becomes an existential search. With its powerful and direct language, it functions as a mirror in which we see ourselves and question our own nature. Brutality and high intention dwell within each of us.
The only form of resistance or resilience in the face of changing times and the harshness of the world is to come to terms with our own fears and desires.
— Beatrice Bortoluzzi
Vertigo is thus an invitation to surrender to the abyss, to chaos, without clinging to some imaginary handle or illusory salvation.
It urges us to embrace this feeling of disorientation, so typical of an era in which certainties waver and emotions manifest as storms.
From this apparent oblivion—from abandoning the attempt to remain still—emerges the courage to accept and eventually shape the turmoil of the soul.
Just as the brushstroke governs the color, in the end, man too, in all his ambiguity, inconsistency, and beauty, finds a way to master himself.
Barilaro’s works cannot leave even the most distracted viewer indifferent. At first glance, the force applied to the canvas disturbs us, stripping us bare in our vulnerability.
This is the role of art: to disturb, to shake, to move, to horrify, to frighten, to intrigue.
Art’s task is to keep us alert to the time in which we live. Painting always urges us to look beyond appearances, without fearing darkness. Anguish becomes an emotional resource.
Darkness is not the enemy—it is an ally that helps us discover what is invisible to the eyes.
This reclaiming of darkness possesses a liberating power: art becomes a space in which we can explore the most hidden recesses of our psyche.
The vulnerability that emanates from Barilaro’s works is a kind of leap toward authenticity, an embrace of the experiences we usually try to hide.
Here, art becomes poetry.
Here, life becomes material to be sculpted, to be molded under the sign of an unending search for understanding and meaning.
This vertigo, if faced with courage and trust, holds the power to transform us.
Art is my tool, my weapon, and my refuge.
Fire is its primordial equivalent—capable of destroying and creating with the same intensity.
Each work is born from inner conflict, from a struggle between instinct and reason, between the desire to create and the awareness of my inadequacy.
This insatiable, almost bulimic hunger drives me to search for deep meaning, to find sense even when no sense exists.
My hands move through brushes, colors, and surfaces—but it is fire that becomes my true ally, my inner alchemist.
With it, I can dissolve matter, purify it, and then rebuild it into a new form.
Each brushstroke is an act of resistance against resignation, a declaration of war against the demons that inhabit my heart.
There is no peace in my studio—only a constant battle between what I want to be and what I am.
The jacket I wear is a symbol of external discipline, but inside I am a man at war—a warrior fighting to bring order to his mental disarray.
I was born a figurative painter, a traditionalist in a world that no longer needs precise images.
I paint on altarpieces, but not to celebrate a comforting divine. I look at the world with restless eyes, framing it within a distorted and unsettling vision of life.
Each figure born from my hands is, for me, a reflection of the chaos that permeates existence.
Giuseppe Barilaro is a prominent figure in today’s contemporary art scene.
Raised between the streets of his hometown and the vibrant atmosphere of Vicenza, he has always sought his voice through color and form, embarking on a path that blends tradition and innovation.
His formal journey into the art world began when he enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Catanzaro, where he earned his degree in Decorative Arts in 2017, also specializing in Sacred Art Decoration.
During these formative years, Giuseppe was not merely a diligent student—he became a true explorer of his artistic sensitivity, pushing beyond the boundaries of the known.
His talent came to light in 2012 with his first solo exhibition, Confession, held at the Palazzo Ducale in Cosenza and curated by the esteemed Andrea Romoli Barberini. This debut marked his entry into the contemporary art world, garnering attention from both the public and critics.
That same year, he was selected to participate in Forma e Sensi, an exhibition held in the historic city of Xi’An, China—an international stage that proved pivotal in his journey.
2013 marked another significant milestone: Giuseppe won the National Arts Award, a recognition conferred by the Italian Ministry of Education as “best student in painting.”
This award not only solidified his reputation among young artists but also fueled his passion and his bold artistic pursuits.
In 2015, he continued to grow by participating in the international Limen Arte prize and taking part in the workshop Il solco dipinto in Venice.
Here, his work was evaluated by a jury of experts including renowned art critic Vincenzo Trione. It was a period of creative fervor, during which Barilaro began to define his visual language—characterized by explosive colors and experimentation with materials such as resins and glues, which led to his signature “red.”
After graduating, Barilaro embarked on an exhibition journey that led him to prominent galleries in Milan and Rome.
Starting in 2017, he began exploring themes of metamorphosis and reflecting on the essence of matter, telling stories of transformation that invite the viewer into a contemplative, introspective experience. His emotionally charged works urge the public to confront the fragility of existence.
Today, Barilaro works as a freelance artist and teaches in various schools throughout the province of Vicenza, where he shares his passion and knowledge with new generations of artists.
His curiosity remains boundless: he continues to explore new artistic forms and dynamics, including NFTs—not only as a means of sale but also as a way to protect copyright.
His career is studded with significant exhibitions, such as La Memoria del Rosso (Rome, 2017), and has continued to grow through 2022 and beyond.
In 2023, he presented new works in shows like Tra l’aratro e la terra incolta (Rome) and Blu Rinascimento – L’Estasi del Vuoto (Milan), further affirming his place in the contemporary art landscape.
Giuseppe Barilaro is, ultimately, an artist in constant evolution. His ability to combine the aggression of painterly gestures with a deep inner quest makes his work a powerful vehicle for communication.
His canvases are not mere aesthetic representations; they are invitations to explore the human condition—the tension between chaos and order, pain and beauty.
With his gaze always fixed on the future, Barilaro continues to “paint” not only on canvas, but in life itself, charting a course that is a continuous affirmation of his authentic artistic essence.
2025
Vertigo, curated by Beatrice Bortoluzzi, Sala delle Grasce, Pietrasanta
Tra l’aratro e la terra incolta, curated by Francesco Ciaffi and Andrea Romoli Barberini, Edarcom Europa Gallery, Rome
2023
Atelier – L’allegoria della pittura, curated by Ottavio Porto and Emanuele Bertucci, Palazzo Santa Chiara, Tropea
Blu Rinascimento – L’Estasi del Vuoto, curated by Ottavio Porto, Spazio SAC, Milan
2022
L’oblio dei corpi, curated by Lorenzo Canova and Ottavio Porto, Complesso Monumentale del San Giovanni, Catanzaro
2019
Identità delle forme, curated by Ivan Bissoli with critical text by Ugo Nespolo, Sareban Art Gallery, Tehran
2017
La Memoria del Rosso, curated by Lorenzo Canova, Galleria Lombardi, Rome
2015
Confession, curated by Andrea Romoli Barberini, Palazzo Ducale Arte Contemporanea, Maierà
Visitazioni e rivisitazioni, curated by Ghislain Myaud, Galleria Arte Spazio, Catanzaro
2025
Fogli Sospesi, Edarcom Europa Gallery, Rome
2023
Decennale, Casa Turese Gallery, Vitulano (BN)
2021
Il Cielo su Roma, Tiber Gallery, Rome
2020
Art Monsters 2020, curated by Matteo Pacini, Museo Civico Palazzo della Penna, Perugia
2019
Wing of Desire, Art In Gallery, Milan
Caleidoscope, Agresti Studio, Matera
2018
Il mondo è roba dell’altro mondo, HQ Gallery by Mario Giusti, Milan
Ghost Space, curated by Marilena Morabito, Palazzo Oneto di Sperlinga, Palermo
Empatia, curated by Maria Laura Perilli, Triphe Gallery, Rome
Le Stanze dell’Arte, Galleria Lombardi, Palermo
Materia, Arte, Design, curated by Fabio Rotella, MARCA Museum, Catanzaro
2017
Extemporanea H24, Galleria Lombardi, Palermo
Corpi, curated by Maria Chiara Wang, Art In Gallery, Milan
Rendez-vous pour RAW, Galleria Lombardi, Rome
40 anni e…, Galleria Lombardi, Rome
Accanto al meno, Complesso Monumentale del San Giovanni, Catanzaro
2016
Forma e Sensi, curated by Andrea Romoli Barberini and Wang Lin, Contemporary Museum, Xi’An (China)
Grammelot, MACRO – Spazio Factory, Rome
Codice Italia, curated by Vincenzo Trione, Palazzo Grimani, Venice
Staff:
Giuseppe Barilaro
Sofia Tumbiolo