Mapping the world within. Italian contemporary artist Alessandro Casetti creates richly textured abstract paintings that explore the relationship between the physical world and our innermost emotions. Using industrial paints, gravity and the unpredictable behaviour of his materials, he produces extraordinary surfaces that seem to exist somewhere between the microscopic and the monumental.
Born in Bagno di Romagna, Italy, in 1981, Casetti studied at the Institute of Art in Sansepolcro before attending the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence. His first exhibition took place in Florence in 2002, and he has devoted himself to painting full-time since 2014. His work has since been exhibited internationally, with solo exhibitions in Taiwan and Los Angeles and representation by contemporary galleries across Europe, Asia and the United States.
Casetti's technique is as distinctive as the paintings themselves. Working primarily with industrial enamels on canvas, he uses gravity to direct the flow of colour, allowing the materials to spread, thicken, fracture and develop intricate patterns as they dry. The resulting surfaces acquire an almost geological quality, resembling everything from the cracked earth of an ancient landscape to satellite images of distant planets or organic structures seen beneath a microscope.
This interplay between the infinitely large and the infinitely small is central to his work. Casetti sees the physical surface of a painting as a metaphor for human skin, a living map that records the complex emotional processes taking place beneath it. His compositions invite viewers to look beyond appearances and consider the hidden forces, memories and experiences that shape our inner lives.
Music is another defining influence. A musician as well as a painter, Casetti describes it as the fuel that feeds his creativity. His 2024 multidisciplinary project Backup brought together an album of original electronic music, a documentary and a series of abstract paintings, exploring the relationship between sound, colour, memory and emotion. The project marked an important development in his practice, demonstrating how his different creative disciplines continually inform one another.
His artistic approach has also been shaped by an interest in psychology and self-exploration. Through his involvement with Cristóbal Jodorowsky's Metamundo programme, Casetti experimented with expressive practices that deepened his understanding of the relationship between creativity and the subconscious.
Ultimately, his paintings are both physical and psychological landscapes. Through their intricate textures, fractured surfaces and flowing colour, Casetti transforms the unpredictable behaviour of matter into a powerful exploration of the human experience.
“With my paintings, I metaphorically represent all the emotional processes that happen inside and outside of our own bodies…”
