Visionary elephants

Pastels

"The elephant of the Strait of Messina"

Soft pastels on paper
21x29,7cm
2022

The Elephant of the Strait features a stylized elephantine figure, with yellow-gold hues and deep shadows, reminiscent of a metallic sculpture. The animal is characterized by a angular eye on its forehead and swirling dark purple masses replacing its trunk and tail, lending a surreal aura. Its limbs end in solid bases, while in the background, truss-like structures stand out against a blue sky and a yellow-green horizon. The drawing, with its dynamic strokes, captures an enigmatic and powerful image.

PUBLICATIONS

This artwork has been published in the art magazine "Visual Art Journal", Issue #1, pg.90, published in June 2024

La danzatrice

Pastelli a cera su carta
31x24,5cm
2026

Quest'opera raffigura una figura femminile ibrida, a metà tra una donna umana e un elefante stilizzato, in una posa di danza dinamica, che evoca un'estetica che ricorda l'arte egizia. La danzatrice, con un braccio teso e l'altro piegato, è resa con colori intensi di blu, verde e giallo, creando un forte contrasto con il vibrante sfondo giallo-arancio. Le linee decise e la texture visibile conferiscono profondità e movimento alla composizione. Sullo sfondo si intravede una sfera luminosa, che aggiunge un elemento enigmatico.

Volare alto II

Pastelli a cera su carta
35x27,5cm
2026

Questo disegno vibrante cattura un elefante alato, dalle piume verdi e blu, in volo dinamico contro un cielo infuocato. La parte superiore è dominata da un giallo brillante che sfuma in un arancione intenso verso l'orizzonte. Un disco verde luminoso accompagna l'ala superiore, mentre in basso, lo sfondo delle isole Eolie al tramonto definiscono un paesaggio stilizzato. L'opera, realizzata con tratti decisi, evoca un senso di movimento e una palette cromatica audace.

Malinconia

Pastelli a cera su carta
35x26,7cm
2026

L'opera rappresenta un elefante guerriero antropomorfo, dominata da tonalità di rosso intenso e blu profondo. La composizione è pervasa da un'atmosfera drammatica, con il cielo rosso fuoco che contrasta con la silhouette scura del soggetto. Dettagli appuntiti emergono dalla figura, mentre un cerchio rosso, simile a un sole o una luna, punteggia l'orizzonte. L'opera cattura un'immagine potente attraverso l'uso espressivo del colore e delle linee.

Primitivismo blu

Pastelli a cera su carta
35x27,5cm
2026

Il disegno raffigura un volto stilizzato e intenso, dominato da una profonda palette di blu e turchesi vibranti, con forti contrasti di nero. La tecnica del tratto denso e graffiato crea una texture ricca e dinamica che avvolge la figura centrale. Dalla testa emergono forme appuntite, simili a una corona o un copricapo primordiale, conferendo all'opera un'aura misteriosa e potente. Gli occhi incavati e le linee marcate definiscono un'espressione enigmatica, quasi ancestrale.

Mixed technique

"The elephant King"

Watercolours and pen on paper
2025

Yellow Elephant

Digital painting
2020

The digital artwork “Yellow Elephant” features an imposing, stylized figure. The elephant is depicted with a sturdy body and solid legs, covered in golden hues that suggest metallic armor, dotted with dark rivets. Its ears have a ribbed texture, while its trunk curves elegantly. Distinctive details include a stylized eye with a blue iris and pronounced eyelashes, and an open mouth revealing white, tooth-like elements on red lips. The head is adorned with a crest of white shapes. The entire piece stands out against a gradient background of yellow and green, which enhances the subject’s vibrancy.

PUBLICATIONS

Artwork published in the volume "ART NOW", no. 5, Palermo, third year, September/October 2020 edition, pg.108

Publication of the artwork in the magazine "No Name Collective" in the "Selection March 2021", London, UK, pg.57

"The elephant Guardian of Art"

Digital painting
2022

This artwork is a dynamic painting in which a stylized elephant-like figure dominates the scene. The body, rendered in golden-yellow tones, is outlined in bold black and white contours, emerging from a vibrant background of yellow and olive green. Energetic brushstrokes and angular lines create an intense visual texture, while details such as the expressive eye and the multicolored tips on the head infuse the work with vitality. The piece captures an essence of strength and protection through its bold composition and expressive use of color.

Destruction of the Art

Digital painting
2021

This digital artwork depicts two stylized elephants, adorned with pencil tips on their backs and tusks. The creatures—a mother and her calf—are fleeing across a field of stylized grass, while a gloomy, reddish sky looms overhead. An orange-and-black eclipse dominates the upper right corner, from which trails of light rain down. The elephants’ bodies show cracks and cavities, suggesting a state of decay or destruction, accentuated by their desperate expressions.
The dynamic composition and contrasting colors create an intense and visually powerful atmosphere.

PUBLICATIONS

Artwork published on the review "Osservatorio dell'Outsider Art"on pg.85, Edizioni Museo Pasqualino, Palermo, 25th issue, 2023

The painting features a dynamic composition in which two stylized elephants, intertwine in a vortex of shapes and colors. The figures are inspired by Giovanni Cammarata’s Art Brut elephants, locked in combat and immersed in the fire of damnation, as if in a circle of Hell from the Divine Comedy.

Shades of acid green and bright yellow dominate the bodies, while energetic brushstrokes of red, orange, and white create a vibrant, almost fiery aura. The bold lines and expressive strokes lend the work a sense of perpetual motion and visceral power, evoking a primordial energy that pulses through the canvas.

Veins on fire

Acrylics on canvas
60x80cm
2022

The painting features a dynamic composition in which two stylized elephants, intertwine in a vortex of shapes and colors. The figures are inspired by Giovanni Cammarata’s Art Brut elephants, locked in combat and immersed in the fire of damnation, as if in a circle of Hell from the Divine Comedy.

Shades of acid green and bright yellow dominate the bodies, while energetic brushstrokes of red, orange, and white create a vibrant, almost fiery aura. The bold lines and expressive strokes lend the work a sense of perpetual motion and visceral power, evoking a primordial energy that pulses through the canvas.

The artwork unfolds in a dynamic composition. The upper portion is dominated by an intense blue, crossed by horizontal and vertical brushstrokes in white, yellow, and orange, which create an effect of fragmented light. Below, a cascade of vibrant strokes in warm tones blends with dark, twisted forms, outlined by energetic white brushstrokes. These abstract, almost spectral figures evoke a sense of movement and drama, suggesting the narrative of the title through an intense, gestural visual expression.

The Knight's death III

Acrylics on canvas
80x60cm
2023

The artwork unfolds in a dynamic composition. The upper portion is dominated by an intense blue, crossed by horizontal and vertical brushstrokes in white, yellow, and orange, which create an effect of fragmented light. Below, a cascade of vibrant strokes in warm tones blends with dark, twisted forms, outlined by energetic white brushstrokes. These abstract, almost spectral figures evoke a sense of movement and drama, suggesting the narrative of the title through an intense, gestural visual expression.

Pen and ink

"Fantastic elephants I"

Bic pen and white pencil on recycled paper
21x29,7cm
2024

The artwork depicts two anthropomorphic elephants, symbols of empathy, longevity, and memory, with human hands and feet instead of legs, underscoring their extreme sensitivity, both emotional and physical.
In place of tusks, they also feature pencils, and in place of tails, paintbrushes, as in my personal artistic poetics, they symbolize Art and Creativity, and therefore the joy and celebration of Life.

EXHIBITIONS

The artwork has been exhibited to the first Art EXPO Biennal of Messina happened on from 5th to 13th October 2024 in the Collective held on Palazzo Zanca (Messina's town hall)

The butterphant

Pen on paper
15x21cm
2024

The drawing captures a hybrid, surreal creature. A majestic elephant emerges with detailed butterfly wings and delicate antennae, blending strength and lightness. The dynamic style, rich in lines and intense shading, sculpts the texture of the skin and the folds of the body, lending depth and volume. The multiple eyes on the forehead add an enigmatic element, while the cast shadow accentuates the work’s sculptural presence.

The elephant warrior I

Pen on paper
36x27cm
2022

This drawing captures the imposing figure of a warrior elephant,

my personal symbol of creativity, standing tall and clad in detailed armor.

The theme of elephants is very dear to me because, in addition to being a highly empathetic and long-lived animal, it is also a creature present in the history and traditions of my homeland, Sicily, and is depicted as a visionary animal in the works of the Babelic sculptor Giovanni Cammarata.

The fantastical hoplite sports sharp spikes on his shoulders and knees, firmly gripping a spear and a circular shield. The elephant’s muzzle, with its sinuous trunk, is crowned by a feathered helmet that adds a touch of pride.

Created with bold ink strokes, the drawing creates a dynamic contrast between the deep shadows and the shiny surfaces of the armor, highlighting the visual energy and precision of the line-work.

Winged elephant I

Pen on paper
21x29,7cm
2024

The work depicts a majestic hybrid creature, a winged elephant that blends elements of a pachyderm and an insect. The ink drawing reveals a wealth of detail in the feathered wings and the head appendages that rise upward. The intense shading and cross-hatching lend depth and volume to the figure, which rests on a curved surface. Feathers scattered around it suggest an ethereal movement, while the dynamic composition captures the viewer’s attention.

The elephant warrior at rest

Ink on paper
34x24cm
2024

The work “The Warrior Elephant at Rest” depicts an imposing figure: an armored elephant in a meditative pose.
Created with ink, watercolors, and a marker on paper, the monochromatic image plays with contrasts of light and shadow. The segmented armor, adorned with sharp spikes and a crested helmet, envelops the figure, whose pose is reminiscent of the famous “Boxer at Rest.”
The precise lines of the trattopen define the details of the armor, while the watercolors create soft shading, lending depth and a contemplative atmosphere.

The elephant warrior lost in his thoughts

Ink on paper
34x24cm
2024

This artwork depicts a warrior elephant in a pose of deep meditation, evoking Auguste Rodin’s iconic sculpture “The Thinker.”
The detailed armor, with its crested helmet and side spikes, is rendered with precision using ink and pen on paper. The strong contrasts of black and white, enriched by watercolor-like shading, sculpt the figure, highlighting its musculature and metallic texture.
The artwork, signed and dated 2024, exudes a powerful aura of contemplation and strength.