Draft:Giovanni Guida

  1. Home
  2. Wiki


For other uses, see Draft:Giovanni Guida (disambiguation).
Apotheosis, grattage - oil on canvas by Giovanni Guida, 2014.

Giovanni Guida (born 12 October 1992, Acerra, Italy) is an Italian painter and illustrator known for his contemporary approach to the surrealist techniques of grattage and frottage.[1][2][3][4][5][6] His work explores themes of spirituality and the subconscious, employing methods that reveal textures and layers beneath the surface of his compositions.

Biography

[edit]

Born in Acerra in 1992 and raised in Cesa (province of Caserta), Guida studied at the Art High School of Aversa and subsequently obtained both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees with honors in Painting from the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples.[7][8][9]

His paintings are distinguished by the depth of lapis lazuli blue, a deep and luminous shade that seems to transcend the human, evoking infinity and unveiling a spiritual dimension in dialogue with the divine; silver, recalling the refinement of sacred metalwork; and gold, symbolizing the connection between the Absolute and humanity, often described as the “metaphysics of light,” reflecting the incorruptibility and eternity of art[10][11][12][13][14].

Guida’s work emphasizes the dynamic value of the line, with soft, sinuous forms that intertwine, and the centrality of broad, decisive gestures. His exploration of color and light results in luminous, airy compositions that achieve a balance between realism and abstraction. He works particularly with grattage[15], a technique that involves scraping wet paint from the surface, and frottage[16][17]. The removal of paint layers reveals textures beneath, symbolically uncovering what lies under appearances[18]. To create these effects, Guida experiments with a variety of tools, including sponges, styluses, scalpels, steel brushes, and small metal blocks[19][20]. This approach allows him to penetrate the “surface” of the painting, reaching its core and capturing the intimate essence of color through the fragmentation of light[21][22][23][24]. His grattage technique involves the progressive sealing of successive pictorial layers with specific resins, in order to preserve their chromatic brilliance. The incision of the surface reveals the underlying colors and produces strong chromatic and chiaroscuro contrasts, highlighting the interplay between expressive gesture and plastic construction within the work[25].

Notable works and Exhibitions

[edit]

In 2016–2017, his icon Caesarius Diaconus was exhibited in renowned museums, cathedrals, and basilicas around the world: Kunstgewerbemuseum, Berlin; Museu Frederic Marès, Barcelona; Museu de São Roque, Lisbon; Slovak National Museum, Bratislava; Der Stiftsschatz St. Peter und Alexander, Aschaffenburg; Terra Sancta Museum, Jerusalem; Cathedral of Manila (by Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle[26][27], Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization); Cathedral of Buffalo, St. Raphael's Cathedral (Dubuque, Iowa); Essen Minster; St. Maria im Kapitol, Cologne; Glastonbury Abbey; St. Antony's Chapel and Mollinger Museum of Pittsburgh[28].

Other notable works include: Apotheosis (2014)[15]; E guarirai da tutte le malattie... ed io, avrò cura di te (2019), created during the COVID-19 pandemic; Apotheosis of Dante Alighieri in Florence: Amor che move il sole e l’altre stelle (2020), to commemorate the 700th anniversary of Dante’s death[1][29].

[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Giovanni Guida.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Guida, Giovanni". Treccani. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  2. ^ "Guida, Giovanni". Internetowa encyklopedia PWN. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  3. ^ "Grattage". Nationalencyklopedin. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  4. ^ "Guida, Giovanni (1992)". De Gruyter. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  5. ^ "Guida, Giovanni". Deutsche Biographische Enzyklopädie. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  6. ^ "Guida, Giovanni". Encyclopædia Sapere (De Agostini). Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  7. ^ Dartford, Katy (13 June 2024). "Surrealism at 100: Giovanni Guida explores hidden depths with innovative grattage". Euronews. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  8. ^ Gural, Natasha. "Italian Artist Giovanni Guida Embraces Max Ernst's Groundbreaking Techniques To Create Narratives Straddling The Holy And The Secular". Forbes. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  9. ^ Grajales, Manuel. "Giovanni Guida, el artista italiano heredero del surrealismo". Forbes. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  10. ^ KLEIN LEICHMAN, ABIGAIL (18 January 2025). "Italian Artist Giovanni Guida as high priest: Rome-based painter traces methodology to Jerusalem". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  11. ^ Soto, Ángel (25 May 2024). "Giovanni Guida: un viaje espiritual a través del arte del 'grattage'". Milenio. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  12. ^ ARRIETA, JOSÉ. "Vincula espiritualidad y surrealismo con el arte. Considerado una de las jóvenes promesas de la pintura italiana, Giovanni Guida retoma una técnica creada por Max Ernst para narrar su encuentro espiritual". El Heraldo de México. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  13. ^ Esparza, Daniel. "Giovanni Guida: "All true art is already sacred"". Aleteia.
  14. ^ Latorre de Silva, Matilde (February 2024). "El pintor que rasga sus obras en busca de la verdad: «El color se hace arte a través de la unión de cielo y tierra»". El Debate (Spain). Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  15. ^ a b "Grattage". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  16. ^ Inocencio, Syrah Vivien. "Scratching the surface: how Giovanni Guida uses century-old grattage technique to expose the sacred and the unseen". Tatler. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  17. ^ Bove, Mario (3 September 2025). "Grattage". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  18. ^ "Il giovane pittore Giovanni Guida con la tecnica del grattage svela la verità nascosta". Famiglia Cristiana. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  19. ^ Gigena, Daniel (24 November 2023). "Giovanni Guida, el pintor napolitano fanático de Maradona que recrea el celeste de la bandera argentina. Tiene 30 años y ya figura en enciclopedias de arte contemporáneo; se lo considera "heredero de Max Ernst" por su técnica surrealista y es la joven revelación de Italia". La Nación. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  20. ^ Coviello, Monica. "Giovanni Guida, 30 anni, il più giovane italiano nelle enciclopedie d'arte internazionali". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  21. ^ "Giovanni Guida, el gran regreso del 'grattage' en el centenario del surrealismo". Semana. 21 August 2024.
  22. ^ Franza, Francesco (7 January 2023). ""Grattage" e "Frottage" nelle nuove ricerche, la giovane arte di Giovanni Guida guarda a Max Ernst". Il Giornale.
  23. ^ Minucci, Emanuela (25 October 2022). "È il grande momento del "grattage": il pugile di Basquiat all'asta per 35 milioni di dollari. Valutazione record da Christie's per «Sugar Ray Robinson», mentre a Milano la mostra su «Max Ernst» attrae centinaia di visitatori e un giovane italiano, Giovanni Guida, seguace di uno dei padri del surrealismo, entra nelle enciclopedie del mondo". La Stampa. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  24. ^ Escareño, Sergio (2 June 2024). "¡Conoce al talento italiano! Giovanni Guida explora lo surreal del 'grattage' en sus obras". La Vanguardia. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  25. ^ "Giovanni Guida, biography and works". Arte.it. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  26. ^ Severo, Jan Milo. "Italian artist Giovanni Guida reminisces time in Manila". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  27. ^ Zulueta, Lito B. "Icon and 'papabile': Tagle, St. Caesarius, and the Holy Spirit's descent on Manila". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  28. ^ "Giovanni Guida, le jeune peintre italien qui fait dialoguer l'art avec la foi". Le Pèlerin. 2 May 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  29. ^ Verna, Giorgia (21 September 2022). "L'artista partenopeo Giovanni Guida erede di Ernst: è già nelle enciclopedie". Il Mattino. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
Stub icon

This Italian artist–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This page will be placed in the following categories if it is moved to the article namespace.
Categories: