@$!#%You - Limited Edition of 25 Print

I am Ernesto, an Italian artist living and working in London. I use x-rays of my body for my work, which I transform with bold colours and often embellish with gold leaf, glitter, spray paint or Swarovski crystals. All my work is very much colourful and shiny. I often use symbols like crowns (including crown of thorns-religious symbols) and jewels that I superimpose to the x-rays, and then hand embellish them adding sparkle. Those symbols tend do identify a certain status or social position. On the other hand the x-rays instead are free from any social connotation, any prejudice or stereotype and often free form gender and ambiguous and eventually the most judgemental free angle from which a person can be looked at. These X-rayed self portraits convey a message of equality and universal values, of inclusion and diversity. I have exhibited nationally in UK and internationally and my work is collected worldwide.