Ninni Pagano (1969) - Silenziosità e affinità acquatica

Biography of Ninni Pagano

Born in Catania in 1969, Ninni Pagano initially pursued scientific studies, a background that would influence the precision and structure of his later works. He entered the world of art through his visits to the studio of master Antonio Sciacca, with whom he shares a vision of art as a bridge between different eras.

Artistic Vision: “The Cabinet of Wonders”

Pagano’s artistic research is closely tied to the concept of the Wunderkammer (Cabinet of Wonders). His works are often conceived as mental spaces where the following elements merge:

Classicism and Pop: Elements of Greek and Renaissance sculpture are reinterpreted through solid colors and contemporary symbolism.

Alchemy and Philosophy: The artist explores the enigma of existence through dreamlike figures (such as his celebrated “Swan Women”) and Hermetic references.

Materials: He uses blended powders to achieve a compactness of color that gives his canvases an almost sculptural dimension.

Achievements and Recognition
Although his exhibition career took off in earnest around 2011, he quickly achieved significant international milestones:

Venice Biennale: He exhibited at the 56th edition (2015), in the “Grazie Italia” exhibition at the Guatemala Pavilion.
Rome Triennale: He took part in the 2014 Triennial Exhibition of Visual Arts.
Publications: His work is included in Mondadori’s Catalogo d’Arte Moderna (CAM) and De Agostini’s Atlante dell’Arte Contemporanea.

International Presence: His works have been exhibited at prestigious venues such as the Altes Dampfbad Museum in Baden-Baden, Germany, and Art Market in Budapest.
In addition to being a painter and sculptor, Pagano is an expert in antique art. This passion is reflected in the way he “recovers” the past—not to copy it, but to transform it into a grotesque and fascinating language that speaks to the contradictions of modern humanity.

Quietness and Aquatic Affinity
This work explores the connection between the human psyche and the underwater world through an atmosphere of surreal suspension.

Figurative Analysis

The painting portrays a young woman in profile wearing a blue-gray swimming cap with an orange stripe, facing a goldfish floating in midair against a dark, featureless background. The female figure, leaning with her arms crossed on what appears to be a wooden surface or the edge of a pool, has elongated, delicate features, a fixed, penetrating gaze directed at the animal, and striking red lips. The goldfish, painted with great attention to the details of its fins and scales, echoes the warm tones of the details on the woman’s face and cap, creating an immediate visual dialogue between the two subjects.

Critical Analysis

The work belongs to a surrealist and symbolist figurative tradition, playing on formal and conceptual contrasts:

Chromatic and Formal Symmetry: The orange of the stripe on the cap and of the lipstick is perfectly echoed in the fish’s golden coloring, suggesting an identity bond or an inner correspondence between the woman and the animal.

Isolation and Alienation: The deep black background removes all spatial and temporal references, transforming the scene into a mental space or a waking dream in which the laws of physics (such as gravity for the fish) are suspended.

Incommunicability and Gazes: Despite their physical closeness, the interaction remains wordless; the woman’s fixed gaze expresses a melancholic search for connection, while the fish’s motionless eye reflects an inscrutable neutrality, emphasizing the theme of “silent affinity” and contemporary alienation.



Instagram:@ninnipagano