CoBell
Cosimo Bellanova

 Visual Artist
Lives and works between Ceglie Messapica and Milan.

I had the privilege to study painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Lecce, as well as courses in photography and urban painting design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław, Poland.

My artistic journey ventures into the realm of visual arts, navigating the subtle boundaries between decontextualization, color and darkness, space and movement. I employ various mediums to breathe life into extraordinary interpretations of the mundane, oscillating between the abstract and the figurative.

In every piece, a spontaneous flow of reflection powerfully emerges, transcending temporal and spatial borders. Painting, video, photography: each medium allows me to transcend the moment, immersing myself in alternative realities, unveiling unexpected details, and posing open questions.

My evolution as an artist mirrors a perpetually changing background. Every phase of my life and each place I’ve resided shape the themes of my works, initiating a dialogue with contemporary thought.

Although my artistic practice favors abstract painting and digital photography, I do not aim to confine these forms to their traditional juxtaposition. By intertwining them, I generate a tangible movement, making ethereal concepts graspable.

One of my profound passions, cultivated during my academy years, is the exploration of fluorescent and phosphorescent colors. Light and color come alive in the darkness of my works, creating an almost mystical experience, thanks to pigments that radiate intensely under the woods light.

Yet, my endeavor surpasses mere visual experimentation. I strive to invoke contemplation on the significance and power of light and color. I beckon viewers of my pieces to uncover brightness even in darkness, to recognize beauty and hope even in life’s bleakest moments.

The current focal point of my artistic exploration is the painting series “Metamorphosis – where will they be?” Merging traditional and contemporary techniques, using oil and fluorescent acrylic colors, I animate figurative paintings that, though featuring animals, speak of humanity. Animals arise from landscapes dominated by human constructs, yet curiously devoid of human presence. This absence prompts profound introspection: how are we relating to ourselves and our planet? The earth, our ancestral home, mirrors itself in these pieces, questioning what we’ve built and how we care for nature’s delicate balance.

Exhibitions:
2021 “Per(ec)cezioni di Luce” Locorotondo, Bari, Italy
2014 “Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder” Primo Piano LivinGallery, Lecce, Italy
2014 “Ritual Mother” Primo Piano LivinGallery, Lecce, Italy
2012 “Opposite Together” Industrialna 11 Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
2012 “Food Art Awards” Castello Ducale di Ceglie Messapica, Italy
2011 “Esprit Méditerranéen“ Pinacoteca Provinciale Bari, Italy
2009 “Oltre le Mura“ Centro Studi Cappella Orsini Roma, Italy
2009 “Rinassense Open Gallery“ Roma, Italy
2007 “ContainerArt Roma“ Villa Borghese, Roma, Italy
2007 “Prize-Winner PalauArte“ Palau, Olbia, Italy
2007 “Bari Fotografia Verso l’acqua” Archivio di Stato Bari, Italy
2007 “Prima Parete“ Lecce, Italy

Education:
2003-2008 Fine Art Studies – Painting – at Academy of Fine Art Lecce, Italy.
2007 Fine Art Studies – Photography and Urban Painting Design – at Academy of Fine Arts (ASP – Akademia Sztuk Pięknych) Wroclaw, Poland.

Contact
Studio
Milan, Italy
Ceglie Messapica, Italy
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info@cobell.it