Thomas Berra on Painting, Vagabond Plants, and Gilles Clément
Thomas Berra, an Italian artist born in 1986 in Desio and currently residing in Milan, emphasizes the significance of the color green and wandering plants in his work. A graduate of the Brera Academy, he has showcased his art in solo exhibitions at Villa Vertua Masolo and Placentia Arte in 2017, as well as at Studio Park Associati and Spazio Leonardo in 2018. His group exhibitions include the Premio Cairo at Palazzo Reale (2018) and So Long at Fondazione Pastificio Cerere (2017). Berra, influenced by figures like Mimmo Germanà and Francis Bacon, perceives drawing as an innate instinct. His latest project, inspired by Gilles Clément's 'Elogio delle vagabonde,' is a site-specific installation at Spazio Leonardo titled 'Tutti dobbiamo dei soldi al vecchio sarto di Toledo.' He admires Federico Fellini and believes that figuration and abstraction are intertwined.
Key facts
- Thomas Berra was born in 1986 in Desio, Italy, and lives and works in Milan.
- He studied at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan.
- Recent solo shows include Studio Park Associati (2018), Spazio Leonardo (2018), Placentia Arte (2017), and Villa Vertua Masolo (2017).
- Group exhibitions include Premio Cairo at Palazzo Reale (2018), Iperpianalto at Fondazione Spinola Banna (2018), and So Long at Fondazione Pastificio Cerere (2017).
- Berra cites Mimmo Germanà, Gino De Dominicis, Philip Guston, Piero della Francesca, Enzo Cucchi, and Francis Bacon as influences.
- For the past four years, he has focused on the color green, inspired by Gilles Clément's 'Elogio delle vagabonde'.
- His site-specific work at Spazio Leonardo was titled after a phrase by Tano Festa.
- Berra considers dreams essential to his work and admires Federico Fellini.
Entities
Artists
- Thomas Berra
- Mimmo Germanà
- Gino De Dominicis
- Philip Guston
- Piero della Francesca
- Enzo Cucchi
- Francis Bacon
- Tano Festa
- Mario Schifano
- Federico Fellini
- Gilles Clément
- Roberto Gelini
- Marta Barbieri
- Paola Bonino
- Damiano Gullì
Institutions
- Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera
- Studio Park Associati
- Spazio Leonardo
- Placentia Arte
- Villa Vertua Masolo
- Palazzo Reale
- Fondazione Spinola Banna
- Fondazione Pastificio Cerere
- Banca Sistema
- Palazzo Mezzanotte
- Room Galleria
- UNA Galleria
- Leonardo Assicurazioni – Generali Milano
- Artribune
- Triennale Milano
Locations
- Desio
- Italy
- Milan
- Piacenza
- Nova Milanese
- Poirino
- Rome
- Siena
- Cremona
- Toledo