COFFE TIME 4 Painting

Luigi Giacobbe  (Italian, 1962-)   Luigi Giacobbe graduated from Artistic High School. His works were well received by various Roman art exponents when they were exhibited in Rome in the early 1980s. Subsequently, in 1987, he was invited to join the art festival “100 Pittori di via Margutta” (100 painters of Via Margutta) as a guest participant.    In 1985, Giacobbe created a collection of works, including the “L’ Arte della Fantasia” (The Art of Imagination), which laid the conceptual foundation of his art ─── a constant metamorphosis between the external attraction and the artist’s imagination.    He moved to Paris in 1989. Giacobbe lived there for five years and participated in numerous art events, including “Salon des indépendants 1991” and “Le Salon d'Automne 1992” held at the Grand Palais. Some of his works became part of the permanent collections of Galerie Rambaud, and solo exhibitions in Paris.   In 1995, Giacobbe moved to Japan. The influences of Japanese culture can be seen in his works. Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (BTMU) exhibited a series of sculptures created by Giacobbe in Ginza, Tokyo in 1997. The exhibition, named “Le Trois Femmes” (The Three Women), lasted for a month. The exhibited works response to the modern world, a world that is featured by a high level of homogeneity and technology-oriented culture.    Giacobbe lived in Japan for five years before moving to Moscow in 2000. The rich colours of Moscow enhanced his visual experiences. Giacobbe’s frequent visits to the famous Red Square enabled him to fully experience the histories and emotions carried by the historical place. His stay in Moscow was characterised by a profound interest in Soviet Art (Soviet Realism). He did some intensive research on Soviet Art and collected an extensive number of works created by painters who lived in the transitional period between the Soviet Union and current Russia. Between 2000 and 2002, Giacobbe made Moscow his home. The city offered unforgettable emotions to him.   Giacobbe arrived in Seoul in 2003. He spent five years rediscovering the material connection with the art. His works were exhibited in Gana Art Gallery in 2005. In 2007, he had his solo exhibition, “L’Arte della Fantasia” (Art of Fantasy), at Galerie PICI. He produced large size works which engaged three forces: graphics, painting and sculpture. By enclosing the three forces into his painting, Giacobbe managed to express the freedom that often can only be seen in art.