La mia arma contro l'atomica è un filo d'erba.
Denise Raggioli – Trieste, 1993. Italian artist based in Italy. After studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice, where I participated in numerous group exhibitions, in 2021 I held my first solo exhibition in Ascoli Piceno (Italy), since 2024, selected drawings from my project 'Eternal Present' have been exhibited at Libreria Prosperi in Ascoli Piceno.
My artistic journey focuses on exploring the concepts of emptiness and absence as spaces for reflection on one's identity. I have revolutionized the notion of self-portraiture by moving away from the traditional representation of the face. In my works, I invite the viewer to an intimate and personal experience, unveiling the complexities of my being through a non-objective vision. My research translates into works on canvas, wood, and paper, created using a variety of techniques ranging from oil to acrylic, ink, and pen. Through my art, I aim to invite the audience to reflect on their own interiority and to discover new dimensions of their existence. My paintings are the result of meticulous observation and constant research. I study the colors and shades of my skin, the lines that trace my identity, especially those of my left hand, the tool with which I create. The hand, both tool and protagonist of my paintings, becomes a bridge between my inner world and the external one. Each brushstroke is an act of faith, a declaration of authenticity. I invite the viewer to read the traces left by my hand on the canvas, to discover the deep meaning behind each mark and color.
Oil and ink on paper print · 2017 · 21,0 x 29,7 cm
This work embodies my ongoing investigation into the overlapping of planes and the experimentation with diverse techniques, seeking to create an interplay of presence and absence that defines my artistic practice. The crystallization of forms evokes a sense of lightness while revealing an inherent fragility. The composition unfolds through an instinctive gesture, allowing the work to emerge organically from a spontaneous process.
Oil on canvas · 2018 · 35 x 40 cm
Interius No. 0 is the first work in the Interius series, a cycle of oil paintings on canvas through which I began to explore painting as an extension of my ongoing investigation into line and spatial perception. My practice had previously been rooted exclusively in a graphic approach, using ink on paper. Translating this visual language onto canvas led me to confront, for the first time, the importance of layering as a means of creating depth—a depth that suggests the infinite potential of the line to extend beyond the boundaries of the visible space.
Oil on canvas · 2019 · 15 x 20 cm
This small painting is the second work in the Self-Portraits series (2019). Created as part of my undergraduate thesis project, the series explores the personal meaning of self-portraiture through a close study of the lines in the palm of my left hand—the hand I use to paint—and a meticulous analysis of the subtle tonal variations that make up my skin, from which I developed a unique color palette. Each painting in the series is a highly detailed, almost microscopic representation of my hand. The work proposes a reconsideration of the concept of the self-portrait. Rather than relying on the face as the sole marker of identity, it suggests that, for an artist, the hand may offer a more authentic and meaningful form of self-identification.
Ink on paper · 2017
This work is a detail from an experimental study on paper. I created a large drawing featuring the intricate pattern that characterizes my artistic practice and, almost playfully, a small three-dimensional paper pyramid designed to be placed over the surface of the work. The intention was to introduce a new spatial dimension, allowing the lines to rise beyond the picture plane and suggesting their infinite continuation into space.
Oil on canvas · 2020 · 80 x 80 cm
Oil on canvas · 2025 · 30 cm
With this work, I sought to explore the circular format, connecting my painting to an idea of movement and rotation. This investigation shifts its focus toward the colors of nature and the earth, emphasizing the relationship between chromatic research and the natural world. Through this work, I aim to reflect on the essential connection between art and nature.
Plastic · 2020 · 20 x 10 cm
A professor once told me that my work had the potential to extend beyond two-dimensionality. This piece emerged as both an experiment and an act of play. It brings together elements of my past, drawing on my experience in high school, where the practice of recycling materials was a central part of our education. By choosing to work with an everyday material such as plastic and exploring its expressive possibilities, I created this small sculpture (now unfortunately lost during a move). I intentionally preserved its transparency to emphasize the layered interplay of solid and void—a visual language that continues to define my artistic practice. Its impermanence and the fragility it embodies speak to a condition of vulnerability that shapes our everyday lives, perhaps now more acutely than ever.
1993, Trieste - Currently based in Ascoli Piceno, Italy
My ambition is to free art from representation—from the fear of intentionality, from the constraints of interpretation. I seek to reconnect viewers with their own emotions and inner sensibility, allowing each encounter with the work to become a direct and personal experience.
