Pesce Khete on Painting, Drawing, and the Italian Scene
Pesce Khete (born Rome, 1980) studied Multimedia Animation at IED Rome. His work has been shown at Prague Biennale, Thessaloniki Biennale, American Academy Rome, VOLTA NY, Drawing Now! Paris, and many others. In 2017 he was selected for Deposito d'arte italiana at Artissima Turin. He has held residencies at CARS Omegna, Painting Detours Nogaredo al Torre, Spike Island Bristol, and others. In an interview, Khete discusses his approach to painting as instinctual and conflictual, drawing as central, and color as controlled. He distinguishes between artists who think through drawing versus color. He sees abstraction as a mental space without physical references. He stopped photographing two years ago, preferring direct observation. His installation obsession has waned; he now focuses on the works themselves. He believes the Italian painting scene has changed radically in the last five years, making it permissible to enjoy painting again.
Key facts
- Pesce Khete was born in Rome in 1980.
- He studied Multimedia Animation at IED Rome.
- His work has been exhibited at Prague Biennale, Thessaloniki Biennale, American Academy Rome, VOLTA NY, Drawing Now! Paris, and others.
- In 2017 he was selected for Deposito d'arte italiana at Artissima Turin.
- He has held residencies at CARS Omegna, Painting Detours Nogaredo al Torre, Spike Island Bristol, and DIOGENE Bivaccourbano Turin.
- Khete stopped photographing two years ago, citing aversion to mediation.
- He describes his creative process as balancing instinct and rationality.
- He notes a radical change in Italian painting over the last five years, with a renewed sense of enjoyment.
- The interview is part of the 'Pittura lingua viva' series on Artribune.
- The interviewer is Damiano Gullì, curator at Triennale Milano.
Entities
Artists
- Pesce Khete
- Philip Guston
- Musa Guston
- Francis Bacon
- Gabriele Picco
- Angelo Mosca
- Gianluca Concialdi
- Michele Tocca
- Lorenza Boisi
- Patrizio Di Massimo
- Fulvia Mendini
- Valentina D'Amaro
- Angelo Sarleti
- Andrea Kvas
- Giuliana Rosso
- Marta Mancini
- Francesco Lauretta
- Gianluca Di Pasquale
- Beatrice Meoni
- Marta Sforni
- Romina Bassu
- Giulio Frigo
- Vera Portatadino
- Guglielmo Castelli
- Riccardo Baruzzi
- Gianni Politi
- Sofia Silva
- Thomas Berra
- Giulio Saverio Rossi
- Alessandro Scarabello
- Marco Bongiorni
- Damiano Gullì
Institutions
- IED Rome
- Prague Biennale
- Thessaloniki Biennale
- American Academy Rome
- Barriera Turin
- Fondazione per l'Arte Rome
- VOLTA NY
- Drawing Now! Paris
- Ciac Genazzano
- GAMUD Udine
- MARCA Catanzaro
- Ex Monastero dei Benedettini Catania
- Centro Cultural Ramón Alonso Luzzy Cartagena
- Greenhouse Berlin
- Ex Fabbrica Orobia Milan
- MARS Milan
- Ex-Elettrofonica Rome
- The Flat-Massimo Carasi Milan
- Ceri Hand Liverpool
- Van der Stegen Paris
- Localedue Bologna
- GAFF Bologna
- Car Projects / CAR DRDE Bologna
- Isabel Hurley Malaga
- Magda Bellotti Gallery Madrid
- Artissima Turin
- CARS Omegna
- Painting Detours Nogaredo al Torre
- Spike Island Bristol
- DIOGENE Bivaccourbano Turin
- Fondazione Lac o Le Mon San Cesario
- Triennale Milano
- Artribune
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Prague
- Czech Republic
- Thessaloniki
- Greece
- New York
- USA
- Paris
- France
- Genazzano
- Udine
- Catanzaro
- Catania
- Cartagena
- Spain
- Berlin
- Germany
- Milan
- Liverpool
- UK
- Bologna
- Malaga
- Madrid
- Turin
- Omegna
- Nogaredo al Torre
- Bristol
- San Cesario
- Fidenza