"Black Cell" Painting

Ruben is an Italian visual artist whose research explores the "archaeology of the imaginary" through the concept of the "trace." Inspired by the marks left by time—scratches on old doors, abandoned ruins, or collapsed stone walls—Ruben transforms the unknown into narrative, reconstructing through art the lost memories and hopes of those who once inhabited those spaces. His practice is distinguished by a visceral connection to matter and history: Ruben paints exclusively on reclaimed early 20th-century canvases. These are antique hand-woven bridal linens—surfaces steeped in life and history—which the artist prepares using pigments and binders created from his own experimental recipes. At the heart of his poetics lies Campo 65 (Altamura), a former WWII prisoner-of-war camp; its structures, stylized into floor plans and layouts, become symbols of a memory that transcends the personal to become universal. Ruben's works do not offer definitive answers; instead, they act as fragmented maps. Through the use of numbers, signs, and words, the artist invites the viewer into an active investigation: where history is silent, imagination takes over, transforming the artwork into a tool for discovery and inner growth. Since 2016, his works have been acquired by numerous international private collections through Saatchi Art.