EXHIBITION

AN ALCHEMY OF MATTER

In Scorched Valley, Orazio De Gennaro presents a landscape transformed by time and memory, with a palette of smoky grays, ashy whites, and flashes of deep crimson and turquoise breaking through the textured surface. The painting captures an atmosphere that feels both scorched and resilient, hinting at a land that has endured. Reminiscent of Antoni Tàpies’ textured, earthy compositions, De Gennaro’s work diverges in its subtle warmth and reverence for the land, grounding abstraction in a deeply personal landscape.

The painting’s surface, built up and then seemingly worn down, mirrors the scars of a terrain shaped by both natural forces and ancestral history. De Gennaro’s tactile technique, involving layers of oil, pastel, and pigment, creates a rich, almost geological texture that invites viewers to feel the land’s resilience. This scorched valley embodies the memory of a place both harsh and beautiful, a testament to De Gennaro’s connection to his Italian roots and his ability to transform material into a visceral narrative of survival and renewal.