Bivaga (1972) - La Custodia dell’Impossibile

In La Custodia dell’Impossibile, Bivaga presents a moment of intimate guardianship rather than myth. The unicorn—traditionally a symbol of purity, rarity, and the unattainable—is not displayed or conquered, but held gently, almost protectively, within the figure’s arms.

The young woman’s gaze lowers, withdrawn from the viewer, turning inward toward the fragile weight she carries. Her lavish garments and layered pearls contrast with the vulnerability of the creature, creating a quiet tension between abundance and delicacy. Light traces the satin folds and the unicorn’s pale body with equal care, binding fantasy and flesh within the same painterly reality.

Here, the impossible is not captured—it is sheltered. The painting becomes a meditation on preservation, tenderness, and the responsibility that comes with possessing what should perhaps never be owned.

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About the artist:
Agatino Bivona, known artistically as Bivaga, was born in Biancavilla, Sicily, in 1972 and currently lives and works in Adrano. A pupil and close confidant of master Antonio Sciacca, Bivaga began his artistic journey at a young age and has spent over three decades refining his unmistakable visual language. His hyperrealistic portraits, rich in symbolism and emotional nuance, have been featured in major exhibitions in Italy and abroad. Celebrated in critical publications such as I Grandi Maestri (2009), and reviewed by prominent art critics like Nicola Villari and Alfredo Pasolino, Bivaga’s works are held in private collections across Europe, the United States, and Japan — carrying fragments of Sicilian elegance far beyond its borders.

Full catalogue on www.BivagaStudio.com
Instagram: @bivagastudio

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Curated by Havisham & Co.
Instagram: @havishamco
Website: www.havishamco.com