Nicola Samorì

b. 1977, Italian

By Julien Delagrange

November 26, 2020

Nicola Samorì, born in 1977 in Forli, Italy, is a visual artist residing and working in Bagnacavallo, Italy. Samorì is known for his captivating figurative paintings and sculptures inspired by 17th-century (Italian) baroque.[1]

Portrait of Nicola Samorì. / Photo: The Art Department at Cleveland State Community College.

His works originate from Old Masters paintings, rendered in a characteristic chiaroscuro technique. Then, he takes on these images in a somewhat violent but ingenious manner by pinching, puncturing, scratching, or mutilating the surface using knives, scalpels, heavy impasto paint, diluent, or even using metal. As a result, what once looked like an old master painting becomes an eclectic but strong contemporary artwork. As a contemporary iconoclast towards Old Master painting, Samorì engages in discussing cultural traces, violence, fear, and spirituality with his mind-boggling paintings. His oeuvre is marked by a darker atmosphere and a certain intensity. The Italian artist takes on different topics, such as reinterpretations of religious pieces, primarily focusing on martyrs and saints, but also, portraits, still lives, history painting, and sculpture.

A central theme throughout his oeuvre is the body and physicality (of the body). Within his process of artistic transformation of an Old Master, the Italian painter and sculptor ‘skins’ his paintings, removing, changing, and adding layers. By exposing the inside of the paint, Nicola Samorì intends to reveal a freshness and intensity in contrast to the outer tones.[2] He focuses on the materiality of the art object and of the used image, denying the classical representation of this image.[3]

Nicola Samorì studied at the Accademia d’Arte in Bologna, Italy. In 2002 he won the First Prize d’Incisione Giorgio Morandi XVI Edizione. In particular, since the 00s and 10s, the Italian artist has been exhibiting across the world in, among others, Italy, Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Austria, Belgium, France, Portugal, Poland, Serbia, Norway, and Taiwan. His most important shows were at the Quadriennale di Roma in Rome in 2016, the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich, the 5th Biennale Gherdëina in 2016, the 56th Biennale di Venezia in 2015, and the 54th Biennale di Venezia in 2011. Samorì is collected by museum institutions and important private collections, for instance, the Foundation Francès in Senlis, France, and the Collection Coppola Vicenza, Italy. The Italian sculptor and painter is ranked top 10.000 globally and top 100 in Italy on the Artfacts ranking.[4]

An Interview with Nicola Samorì

The best way to achieve an in-depth understanding of an artist’s work is with the words of the artist himself. Read our interview with Nicola Samorì in conversation with Lucia Rossi here.

Books on Nicola Samorì

For further reading on Nicola Samorì, we highly recommend the following books:

Artworks

Nicola Samorì, La festa dei folli, 2020. Oil on copper – 155 x 115 cm. Courtesy of the artist. / Photo Rolando Paolo Guerzoni.

Nicola Samorì, Lucia, 2019. Oil on onyx and Trani stone – 40 x 30 cm. Courtesy of the artist.

Nicola Samorì, Lucie La gran nuvola, 2019. Oil on onyx – 74,3 x 59,7 cm. Courtesy of the artist.

Nicola Samorì, Caporosa, 2019. Portugal Pink Marble – 45 x 20 x 20 cm. Courtesy of the artist. / Photo: Rolando Paolo Guerzoni.

Nicola Samorì, Inginocchiatoio, 2018. Fresco – 300 x 150 cm. Courtesy of the artist. / Photo: Rolando Paolo Guerzoni.

Nicola Samorì, Volta del Mondo, 2014. Oil on copper – 100 x 100 cm. Courtesy of the artist.

Nicola Samorì, Untitled, 2015. Marmo bianco Michelangelo – 80 x 25 x 25 cm. Courtesy of the artist. / Photo: Fulvio Ambrosio.

Nicola Samorì, Il punto acerbo, 2015. Oil on wood – 202 x 152 x 9 cm. Courtesy of the artist.

Nicola Samorì, Il rigore di Girolamo, 2016. Oil on copper – 100 x 100 cm. Courtesy of the artist.

Nicola Samorì, Sordina, 2017. Oil on copper – 100 x 100 cm. Courtesy of the artist.

Nicola Samorì, Portaombra, 2017-2018. Oil on copper – 200 x 100 cm. Courtesy of the artist.

Nicola Samorì, La Naissance des seins, 2014. Mixed media – 270 x 60 x 45 cm. Courtesy of the artist.

Nicola Samorì, Thaw, 2013. Oil on linen – 150 x 200 cm. Courtesy of the artist.

Nicola Samorì, La spada, 2012. Oil on wood – 200 x 150 cm. Courtesy of the artist.

Nicola Samorì, Praevisus, 2011-2012. Oil on wood – 40 x 30 cm. Courtesy of the artist.

Nicola Samorì, Inconnu, 2011. Wax, pigment, plaster – 49 x 40 x 23 cm. Courtesy of the artist.

Nicola Samorì, Terzi, 2010. Oil on wood – 106 x 91 cm. Courtesy of the artist.

Nicola Samorì, Simonia (dorsale), 2007. Mixed technique on paper mounted on canvas – 145 x 230 cm. Courtesy of the artist.

Nicola Samorì, Simonia, 2008. Olio su rame – 100 x 100 cm. Courtesy of the artist.

Nicola Samorì, Agnese, 2009. Olio su rame – 100 x 100 cm. Courtesy of the artist.

Notes:

[1] Nicola Samori, Biography at http://www.nicolasamori.com/biography/ consulted 26/11/2020.
[2] Artsy, Nicola Samorì at https://www.artsy.net/artist/nicola-samori consulted 26/11/2020.
[3] Galerie EIGEN + ART, Nicola Samorì at http://www.eigen-art.com/index.php?article_id=1289&clang=0 consulted 26/11/2020.
[4] Artfacts, Nicola Samorì at https://artfacts.net/artist/nicola-samori/51786 consulted 26/11/2020.

Julien Delagrange

Julien Delagrange (b. 1994, BE) is an art historian, contemporary artist, and the director of CAI and CAI Gallery. Previously, Delagrange has worked for the Centre for Fine Arts (BOZAR) in Brussels, the Jan Vercruysse Foundation, and the Ghent University Library. His artistic practice and written art criticism are strongly intertwined, examining contemporary art in search of new perspectives in the art world.

Author archive →