ARTIST STATEMENT

“There is nothing ugly in art except that which is without character, that is to say, that which offers no outer or inner truth."

Auguste Rodin

What does it mean to connect in a world that is constantly pulling us apart? As I grow older, this question not only shapes my art but compels my search for connection—with the natural world and each other.

Separation is fundamental to the human experience. The loss of my father shaped my understanding of absence—not just as emptiness, but as a presence of its own. This tension between the seen and unseen, the felt and unspoken, reverberates through my images.

The formal—placement, scale, contrast, and shades of light—plays a quiet yet essential role, guiding how these tensions unfold. These elements provide structure, subtly enhancing the emotional depth of the work and how it resonates.

In an age of disconnection, I seek what endures: the raw, unfiltered essence of our shared existence. Through balance and disruption, light and shadow, I explore the space between solitude and togetherness, presence and loss.

At its core, my work is a search for what it means to be human.

Renato Rampolla