Cristiano Ceretti - PAPA CAT

Cristiano Ceretti, born in Milan in 1973, is an Italian contemporary artist who develops a pop, figurative, and eclectic painting language in which irony, color, and symbolism intertwine. He has exhibited in various shows, including the Venice Biennale at the Italian Pavilion. Through anthropomorphic animals, references to popular culture, and reinterpretations of images from tradition, he explores the contradictions of contemporary society. His works combine visual immediacy with points of reflection, transforming familiar subjects into characters with a provocative and original character.

PAPACAT – The Pope of the Tarot

Acrylic on canvas.

PAPACAT reinterprets the figure of the Pope, the fifth major arcana of the Tarot, through Cristiano Ceretti’s pop and eclectic language. At the center of the composition, a cat in pontifical garments wields the pastoral staff, while two dogs kneeling at his feet acknowledge his authority.

The contrast between the independent and unpredictable nature of the cat and the loyalty traditionally associated with dogs introduces a subtle irony about the relationship between authority and obedience, faith and devotion. Through this unusual encounter between animals and sacred iconography, the artist reflects on the mechanisms through which prestige, trust, and power are built.

The solemnity of the traditional figure is reinterpreted with intense colors, an expressive mark, and contemporary pop imagery, balancing irony and symbolism.

The work was created on the occasion of an exhibition dedicated to Tarot cards held in Turin. It is a unique piece, hand-painted on canvas, stretched on a solid wooden frame.

The artwork is sold complete with an authenticity certificate signed by the artist.