PassepARTout Unconventional Gallery

KARISMA

Artist Biography:

A mirror held up to the world, exposing the aspects of life we often forget or ignore — lies, hatred, energy, connection — this is the work of the secretive artist known only as Karisma. Born in Varese, Italy, Karisma turned to art for a more personal reason than fame or fortune; his work is the result of sleepless nights and struggles with depression.

Karisma is a self-taught digital artist, garnering attention from magazines and award competitions early in his career. Though discreet about his artistic process, Karisma has exhibited work at the International Exhibition of Modern and Contemporary Art in Innsbruck, Austria. Audiences are drawn to the raw and even cruel energy that permeates his work.

Karisma cites no influences upon his work, drawing solely upon his own mind for the often dark, challenging, and thrilling scenes within his art, such as those seen in his We Bleed Watercolors (2019) collection. Today Karisma continues to explore the corners of his inner world while living and working in Italy.

Artist Statement:

Some art seeks to please you — my work makes no such promise. I use my artwork to construct a window into modern society, giving viewers the chance to see with clear eyes both the darkness and the energy that flows through our world. My art is meant to challenge the viewer, to invite them to peer through the window I create and experience the conflicting emotions that may arise. Some viewers are upset by what they find in my work, while others are startled at the raw expression, even claiming that, like Paganini, I may have sold my soul to offer such a clear window into the world.

I avoid seeking influences for my work that exist outside my own mind; it’s my mind that brought me to first create art as a remedy for soothing the sting of depression. My art is the voice that I could find no ears for; I put my conflicts and thoughts into my work and let them speak for themselves. I keep my practice private, no longer using my words to explain my inner world, but letting my art speak for me instead.

I welcome viewers to enter that inner world through my art and allow themselves to be challenged by what they find — a mirror to our world that reminds us of that which we would often rather ignore.