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Andrea Stella was awarded by the Municipality of Florence for his contribution to the art world at the biannual Prize of all Arts ceremony.
In addition to receiving an award to acknowledge his important work, he was the guest of honor.
The theme of the ceremony was "The magic of art in the shadows of life," recognizing the ability of art to heal when adversity arises.
In tandem with the ceremony, Andrea Stella had a exhibition "La Corte dei Sognanti," (The Court of the Dreams) at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.
It was swarming with notable European art enthusiasts, clearly elated by the dramatic contrast of "Muses," (life sized sculptures of women) against the backdrop of his mixed media, abstract expressionist canvases.
Tamara G Gallery is honored to have had US exclusivity with Andrea Stella for over 25 years. We invite you to soak up the light of Stella's brilliance.
Andrea Stella was born in Italy in 1950. He was the only child of Greek immigrants, and has remained deeply devoted to Greek culture throughout his life.
He began his career as a craftsman, studying antique conservation techniques at the famous Florence Studio of Artistic Woodworking.
Some of his work from this period can be found in several medieval churches in the Tuscan area.
Stella draws inspiration from his immediate surroundings, the breathtaking Tuscan countryside, the renowned Casentino's forest, and a bit further away, the beautiful city of Florence.
Although he sites it as an influence, he has chosen to live far from the city to avoid the distracting and chaotic rhythms of life there.
Stella at an exhibition in Miami
By living a somewhat secluded life he is seemingly unburdened by the gratingly beingn definitions of art and meaning. Instead, he opts for a complete reconstruction of painting, without the constraints of traditional images and linguistic definitions.
He chooses to depict mythical images and the original condition of creativity. Therefore undressing historical painting of its tinsels and forms.
His work refers only to itself, without recalling anything but its materiality and revelation.
They are works that could never be a metaphor for anything else.
His latest works are created through a painstakingly intricate process of fusing twenty four carat gold and copper to one another onto canvas.
He then applies multiple solutions to oxidize and color the leafing. Glitters of gold and flashes of orange, red, copper and green are all arranged in a masterful succession of oxidation.
His luminous figures make their way through faint illusions of oceans and dark skies.
He conjures light and shadows, as painters have always done, but he does so in the service of an ideal that transcends both, and can only be felt and not thought.
