Melancholic Refrains

In his debut solo exhibition at Arcadia Contemporary, Alex Venezia presents figurative paintings filled with emotional intrigue.

- Rochelle Belsito

Rich storytelling and a classical, but modern aesthetic are two of the integral components in artist Alex Venezia’s paintings. His influences are rooted in not only the Old Masters, beginning with Caravaggio, who he first learned about in his high school art class, but also from wanting to convey human emotions. Throughout his studies—from books of artists such as Solomon J. Solomon and working with Jeff Hein, Daniel Sprick, Michael Klein, Joshua LaRock and Louis Carr—Venezia has learned a multitude of techniques that have helped him refine his artistic voice.

In particular, Veneiza has found himself comparing art to music or films in that he finds a connection to them. “When I looked into the films, music and other things that I love, I found I was drawn to melancholic works or a deeper feeling, or the storytelling aspect,” he says. Most commonly using the figure as his vessel, he composes moments of life that may not appear in art often but are palpable and universal. People have a connection to ​them, because at some point in their life they have felt the emotion that is radiating out of the composition. At first glance, it could be hard not to think of these melancholic scenes as anything other than sad, but as one looks deeper into the pieces, they notice the nuances that elevate the painting to another level.

At only 25 years old, the emerging talent has already carved a solid introduction in the art world winning numerous awards and appearing on an array of “best” lists. In April 2019 his painting Haunting received First Place Painting and People’s Choice during the Portrait Society of America’s 21 st annual International Portrait Competition. He also has forged a relationship with one of the country’s leading galleries, Arcadia Contemporary, where he will have his debut solo exhibition September 21 through October 11.