About Chiara Castagna

I don't have a memory of me without either a pencil or a brush in my hand. But my parents had other plans for my future, so I wasn't allowed to study art. I bargained with them an evening class on oil painting when I was 14. It was a cheap course for adults and I was the only kid there, but my teacher, the Italian painter Achille Zoccola, never treated me anything less than the others. Now, I have a Master's Degree in Art History, and I have, so far, exhibited in Italy, the UK and the Netherlands, but I've always thought you cannot truly understand something unless you are able to do it yourself.

In my personal research, I aim to combine two essential qualities: idea and technique.

I mainly use oil colours on canvases in order to create vivid and realistic portraits.

Moreover, studying Art History helped me develop a series of paintings inspired by famous artworks: the result is a surprising and funny rendition of these masterpieces that makes them more appealing to a young and modern public.