Where Emptiness Gives Rise to Form, Between Painting and Sculpture
From October 24 to November 4, 2026, CathArt Gallery in Varese presents GENESIS OF THE VOID, a solo exhibition by Rudy Di Pasquale, curated by Carla Pugliano, with a critical text by Silvia Previti.
Rudy Di Pasquale grounds his artistic research in an essential intuition: before form manifests itself, there exists a space that makes its emergence possible. It is within this vision that the artist locates the moment of creation: “When I create, my state of being is in the void” — a condition that does not coincide with nothingness, but rather represents the dimension in which the creative act begins and finds expression.
The title GENESIS OF THE VOID evokes precisely this process, in which what remains empty is not merely a background, but a constitutive element of the artwork, in both painting and sculpture. In some works, the painterly intervention is concentrated in the central area, leaving large portions of the surface intentionally untouched. The unpainted surface thus also participates in shaping the image. The same principle emerges in the sculptures, where iron traverses the surrounding space and defines it through curves, twists and openings. The intervals between the elements are not mere interruptions, but contribute to the compositional balance of the work.
The exhibition unfolds through three interconnected forms of expression: painting on oval canvases; paintings in rectangular and square formats, also extending to canvases conceived as tapestries; and sculpture, in which iron is shaped through the physical strength of the artist's body.
The choice of the oval stems from a reflection on the relationship between configuration and expressive freedom. As Di Pasquale explains: “I came to understand that the rectangle and the square are distinctly human constructs, linked to an idea of control, whereas these forms do not exist in nature or in the universe.” This does not, however, entail abandoning more traditional formats, in which the gesture retains an instinctive, visceral quality. Brushstrokes, palette-knife marks, overlapping elements and layers convey emotional tension, moving beyond the boundaries of composition and establishing a dialogue with the oval as well. In the three-dimensional works, iron becomes an extension of the line: the artist bends and moulds it, transforming it into sinuous, dynamic trajectories. The transition from surface to volume thus broadens Di Pasquale's artistic investigation, giving the mark an autonomous existence.
To feel before seeing. Di Pasquale's art does not simply ask to be observed, but to be felt. Colour, transparencies and layers transform perception, turning the painting into an open mirror capable of offering each viewer a different response. Some works, conceived as tapestries on canvases specially created to be embraced, invite visitors to establish a physical relationship with the artwork and the energy it conveys. The embrace becomes a gesture of encounter: for a few moments, the body enters the language of the artwork, establishing a closeness that goes beyond mere contact. Once the embrace is over, the “tapestry” returns to its original form, while the experience remains in the memory of the person who has lived it. Underlying this relationship is a conception of art as an act of love, encompassing the entire creative process. Each work carries a part of the artist within it, without necessarily telling a story: it simply comes into being.
This intimate dimension of artistic creation finds a key to interpretation in the words of Silvia Previti, who identifies the transformation of inner experience into gesture and material as one of the central elements of Di Pasquale's practice: “His painting abandons narrative to plunge into the realm of the formless, of abstraction. Yet, behind that apparent visual chaos, one senses an inner order, an emotional structure guiding the action. The artwork thus becomes a space in which the subconscious reveals itself, a space that accommodates layers, tensions and dissolutions, as though it were the visible trace of a profound and private dialogue.”
Previti further develops this interpretation by examining the evolution of his painting: “In this evolution, the pictorial material acquires density and meaning. Emptiness and fullness, the contrasts between opacity and transparency, suggest an inner world in constant transformation.”
It is this same creative impulse that pushes beyond the boundaries of the painted surface and finds a new form of synthesis in sculpture: “Di Pasquale carries into the three-dimensional realm the same expressive force that characterises his painting, but here his voice becomes more rarefied, more essential. The fervour of the gesture crystallises into fluid curves, sudden twists and arabesques reduced to their bare essentials. Nothing is decorative: every element is the result of a synthesis, of an urgency distilled to its essence. A spare yet powerfully evocative sculptural grammar.”
THE ARTIST
Born and raised on the shores of Lake Maggiore, Rudy Di Pasquale embarked on his artistic research approximately ten years ago, exploring painting, sculpture and photography. Art has become a tool for personal investigation, allowing him to explore emotional dimensions and develop an autonomous expressive language.
Initially drawn to vivid, acidic colours, he recognised painting as a means of expressing deep emotions and defining the first elements of his distinctive style. Over time, he has redefined the boundaries of the canvas through what he calls the “force of love”, understood as the generative impulse behind his experimentation. Subsequently, the black line became the central feature of sinuous, headless silhouettes, devoid of identifying characteristics and suspended in a mental, ethereal realm, eventually moving beyond the painted surface to take shape as sculpture.
In 2025, he participated in several exhibitions, including Energia universale tra forme e colori (Universal Energy Between Forms and Colours) and Esposizione collettiva d’autunno (Autumn Group Exhibition), both held at Spazio Moderno in Arona, as well as Prospettive d’arte (Art Perspectives) at iKonicA Art Gallery in Milan.
In July 2026, he took part in Soglie Invisibili (Invisible Thresholds), a group exhibition hosted by the Diocesan and Capitular Museum of Terni, curated by Carla Pugliano, with Daniele Radini Tedeschi as guest of honour. Radini Tedeschi is currently the curator of Grenada's National Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale.
The exhibition is curated by Carla Pugliano, artist and founder of CathArt Gallery, who combines her own artistic practice with curatorial work. She is an art consultant for Atlante dell’Arte Contemporanea, published by Giunti. In 2020, she earned an international academic master's degree.
EXHIBITION INFORMATION
Venue: CathArt Gallery, Piazza Giovanni XXIII, 11 – Varese, Italy
Entrance: Via Salvo D’Acquisto
Dates: October 24 – November 4, 2026
Opening: Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 5:30 PM
Admission: Free
Opening hours:
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Tuesday to Friday: 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM
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Saturday: 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM and 3:30 PM – 6:30 PM
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Sunday: 3:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Media Partner: L’ArteCheMiPiace
www.lartechemipiace.com
GALLERY CONTACTS
Telephone: +39 392 8081554
Email: cathartgallery@gmail.com
Facebook: CathArt Gallery
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathart_gallery/
Website: https://carlapuglianoartist.com/cathart-gallery/
ARTIST CONTACT – RUDY DI PASQUALE
Telephone: +39 334 224 4442
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rudydipa/
Website: https://rudydipasquale.it