Federico Gasparini - Quasi Fatena

"QUASI FATENA"

Federico Gasparini, 2026
Mixed media on canvas, 25x18cm

The work revolves around a reinterpretation of a figure from classical mythology, Minerva (Athena), goddess of wisdom and knowledge, whose image undergoes a process of painterly and symbolic transformation.

The sculptural face, inspired by classical iconography, emerges from an intense, layered color composition in which acidic shades of green and yellow intertwine with reds, oranges, purples, and blues. The painterly surface, characterized by overlapping layers, irregular gestures, and chromatic contrasts, disrupts the figure’s original composure, giving it a new visual identity.

At the center of the composition, the presence of a moth on the goddess’s face introduces an unexpected and symbolically ambiguous element. The encounter between the monumental mythological figure and the fragile insect creates a tension between eternity and transience, rationality and instinct, classical beauty and natural metamorphosis.

The figure is not simply depicted, but reconstructed through a process of cross-pollination between classical imagery, expressive exploration, and visual associations. The background, traversed by fields of color and overlapping forms, helps create an unstable space in which figurative and abstract elements contribute to the construction of a new narrative.

The title «Quasi Fatena», a linguistic blend of the Italian words for moth (Falena) and Athena (Atena), encapsulates the hybrid nature of the work, suggesting a figure suspended between different identities and in constant transformation.

The work belongs to the field of contemporary neo-expressionist figurative art, with symbolist and surrealist references.

The work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.