Invisible Cities

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                                                                    Fire as an artistic tool

Fire has bring the civilization to the shape as we know it today. I don’t think of another natural element, that when harnessed, can change our life more than the fire.

Fire is present in our daily life as well as part of our memories, as individual and humankind: from the fire in the middle of the cave, revealing painted animal figures on its wall, to the simple gesture of turning on the gas hob.

My memories of fire go back to when I was very young at family picnics, grilling steaks in a camp fire. I was fascinated by the ephemerality and vibrancy of the flames, the magic of the color and light

appearing from nowhere and disappearing in a second.

 

From cultural burning in Australia to shou sugi ban technique of preserving timber in Japan, fire is used to regenerate or preserve life. I use shou sugi ban in my artworks as a tool, an artistic techniques, also for its metaphorical aspect. Burned wood has a silkiness and a texture impossible to reach otherwise, using fire brings back childhood memories and places my artistic intervention into a cultural perspective of catharsis if you want. Engaging and employing fire as a shaping tool, brings back the artistic action to the primitive, magical time of meaningful connection between mankind and Universe.