Nicola Samorì is an Italian artist, born in the year 1977 in Fiorlì, Italy. His work consists of dark, Baroque-inspired oil paintings. They are quite skillful reproductions of classical portraits and still lifes. Samorì generally produces his work on canvas, wood, or copper. He does more than painting, however — he produces sculptures as well.
He will often “skin” his painted figures, layering another image on top, and then repeating the process until the images then fuse. Once this process has ended, signs of effacing and scratching dominate the reworked surface. Samorì believes that exposing the inside of the paint and removing layers of “skin” will reveal a freshness and intensity unknown in the outer tones.
Mia Benenate of Amber-Allen Publishing, Inc. asked Samorì what inspired the mood of his art, and he responded with:
MB: What inspired the mood of your art?
NS: My work stems from fear: fear of the body, of death, of men. I think my nature as an artist is something like feeling hopeless. Works are just temporary shelters and painting is a leisure place where’ you can conceal yourself.
