Fabio La Fauci is a Italian painter based in Berlin, Germany. Recently Fabio has focused on producing abstract portraits by means of heavy impasto, as he manipulates and sculpts raw materials into the guise of a figure. Fabio has had his work exhibited in galleries and fairs across Europe and the United States.
Where did you spend lockdown?
I’m based in Berlin, but my family and I have spent February and March in Lecce, in south of Italy. February was perfect, then when everything started in March things went south pretty fast. First they closed Lombardy, the region I’m coming from, where my family and most of my friends are living. Then they closed the whole country, being there was surreal, at the very beginning we were allowed to go out just for a little walk nearby our house. Then day after day the government put stricter rules, so during the last days it was possible only to go out to buy food, only one person per family, that was me. I remember the feeling of leaving the house to go food shopping, it was like the virus was there waiting for you and jumping onto you. Weird to think of now, but at the very beginning no one knew nothing and the media were vomiting fear on us. After a couple of fights were cancelled we managed with some difficulties to get back to Berlin. The lockdown there wasn’t as hardcore like in Italy, there was never the obligation to stay home, we were always allowed to go out for a walk.
Did you have access to a studio during this time? If not, how did you continue to create work?
Not really as I was in Lecce, on my way back I packed my former studio and I moved to a new one. It took me 3 weeks – the relocation. I started working in the new studio May the 4th.
Can you talk through your art making process?
I’m doing portraits at the moment, I normally start from the face that then suggests the pose of the body. I use different materials, ceramic, acrylic, oil colours, wood, 3D printing. I’ve to work in different steps, when I finish a face I’ve no idea of how the body will be, so it’s kind of a surprise every time. I can see the finished artwork only when I glue the face on the canvas.
Did you experiment with any new materials or methodologies?
I’m always experimenting. Lately I’m having fun with 3D printing. When I cast the face in ceramic they are pretty heavy, so I can’t go over a certain size of the face. While with the 3D printing I’ve the same shape with a much lighter weight. In fact I’ve some bigger version now in my studio to do bigger canvases, plus I’m always scribbling and taking notes on how to make it better, and it’s a mix of aesthetic and chemicals, since I’m mixing more then one medium at the time.
Given the limitations and restrictions of the last few months, did your art making process change at all? If so, do you think this will continue to change how you will make art going forward?
Being a painter I basically live in self quarantine by definition. This situation didn’t really affect my lifestyle. That said, I started 7 new paintings different from the portraits I do, inspired somehow from the Covid situation. Overall a painter is always searching for new things, with or without a global pandemic.
Did you have any projects during this time that went ahead?
I recently had a launch of mixed media works with my gallery in NYC. Then I worked on some commissions.
Do you have any upcoming projects?
Yes. I will have a few things going on between Europe and USA around the second half of the year and the beginning of 2021, but of course let’s see how this situation will evolve, if there’s really gonna be a vax before the end of this year or not…I’m very curious to see how this particular moment of life will affect art.
All photographs were provided by Fabio la Fauci. To see more of Fabio’s work visit his website and Instagram.