ANGELO KRASSINI, exhibition of jewels 11-26.05.2023

ANGELO KRASSINI

„Reborn“ – exhibition of jewels

11-26.05.2023

Only the title of this exhibition does not immediately reveal the connection between rebirth and the creation of small art forms – jewelry. We need to add that it is inspired from the portraits of Faiyum (from the first to the third century AD) and then the provocation is fully revealed.

For the uninitiated by art history: in the 19th century, ancient pictorial portraits were discovered in the desert of Egypt around the Faiyum oasis. They represent the evolution of traditions in Ancient Egyptian art under the influence of Hellenistic painting. But beyond the form, the portraits themselves are the fruit of the endless human desire for victory over death.

Artfully made with a technique called “Encaustic” (pigmented wax applied melted onto a board), they were placed on mummies in the hope of rebirth. And since in my previous exhibition, “Shared Treasures”, I tried to make paintings – jewels, it was quite natural that the idea arose from the wonderful Faiyum portraits to borrow the jewels and, by transferring them, to reborn them. In the exhibits, I have tried to show the images of their owners through the original technique and boards over 200 years old.

The women of the Faiyum portraits are also among us – look around, sooner or later you will find them. This is also God’s plan for immortality, although unrecognized by the modern world. With the intelligent beauty that these 12 beautiful women radiate, it’s as if they asked me to give birth to what I can – their jewelry. This is how I want to show that something meaningful and beautiful can be taken from the past and remain with us.

Angelo Krassini, May 2023