Patrizio di Massimo
Patrizio di Massimo is a contemporary artist based in London. He is recognised for his self-portraits and paintings depicting family and friends.
Early life and education
Di Massimo was born in Jesi, in the Italian region of Marche. He received his bachelor’s degree from the Brera Academy in Milan and later graduated from the Slade School of Fine Art in London.Work
Di Massimo's work is influenced by early 20th-century art movements, particularly the Italian Return to Order and the German New Objectivity.His portraiture explores themes of power, seduction, consensus, and co-optation. His subjects include self-portraits where he appears in various disguises, as well as portraits of family and friends depicted in intimate, theatrical scenes. His work has been noted for its engagement with masculinity and queerness, often incorporating erotic undertones that challenge conventional representations of the male body and the male gaze.
Di Massimo employs the glazing technique. Before focusing exclusively on painting, he experimented with performance art, video, and installation. Between 2012 and 2015, his work incorporated decorative elements such as cushions, tassels, curtains, and trimmings.
Exhibitions
Di Massimo has held solo exhibitions at institutions including Castello di Rivoli, Rivoli-Turin, Kunsthalle Lissabon, Lisbon, Gasworks, London, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, and Whitechapel Art Gallery, London. Writing for Artforum, Pier Paolo Pancotto described his 2014 solo show "Are Ere Ire" as "an astonishing anthology of visual and intellectual interpretations of ."His work has also been featured in group exhibitions at Hangar Bicocca, Milan, Fiorucci Art Trust, London, Triennale di Milano, Milan, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin, MAXXI, Rome. He was one of eight artists featured in I'm Here But You're Gone, a scent-based art exhibition at the Fiorucci Art Trust.