alessia pugliese - Under the mask

Description
There is a precise moment, suspended between what we are and what we show.
This painting tells exactly that moment.
The face of the figure is split: on one side living, fragile, real skin; on the other a mask, symbol of what we choose to show the world. But what surrounds it is even more revealing.
The rabbits — traditionally symbol of innocence, purity and vulnerability — are not simply present: they envelop it, touch it, almost protect it… or perhaps restrain it.
Each animal gaze is different: vigilant, sweet, silent.
Like thoughts, emotions, instincts that coexist inside us.
The intense red of the background is not casual: it is life, drive, tension.
It is what lies beneath the surface.
This work speaks of identity, of duality, and of that subtle line between what we truly are and what we choose to hide.
A work that is not limited to being observed, but observes who looks at it.

Biography
Alessia Pugliese (Napoli, 1986) is an Italian artist whose research focuses on the representation of contemporary female identity through symbolic and narrative figuration.
Trained at the historic Caselli Institute – Real Fabbrica di Capodimonte, she develops a solid technical base and a deep respect for matter and detail. After a path as a portraitist, in which she hones the ability to investigate the psychological dimension of the human face, since 2019 she directs her research toward a more conceptual painting. Her works place the female figure at the center, often accompanied by symbolic elements, animals or references to contemporary visual culture. Through a calibrated use of color and strongly scenographic compositions, the artist explores themes such as identity, vulnerability, social mask and transformation.
Her painting sits within contemporary figuration with pop and symbolist influences, distinguished by emotional intensity and narrative strength.