Thomas Braida's Ironic and Pungent Paintings at Monitor Rome

Thomas Braida (Gorizia, 1982) returns to Monitor in Rome after six years with a solo exhibition showcasing his evolving painterly research. His large-scale canvases, such as 'Toblerone World War' (2022, oil on linen, 2002×340 cm) and 'where the sun falls asleep' (2020), feature surreal, ironic imagery: a cowboy riding a giant vegetable in a vineyard, a snowman attacked by an animal shadow, a tiger clutching a heart-shaped blue balloon and a severed arm. Braida's work incorporates mischievous details that slowly reveal dramatic shifts in meaning. This time, he extends the painting beyond its frame, using frames as accomplices to expose the magnetism of illusion. In 'Carabbean you beyond Blue' (2020), the three Fates or Greek Moirai appear glued to tree trunks on a tropical island, with one shield echoing the Nebra Sky Disc (c. 1600 BC, Saxony). Braida describes his creative process as an alignment of elements—color, mark, small painted details, meanings—that suddenly click into harmony. The exhibition includes both monumental and small-format works, the latter isolating photographic details or fragmenting depth. The show is at Monitor, Rome, and was reviewed by Giorgia Basili on Artribune.