Francesca Antonini Arte Contemporanea is pleased to present Non chiedere, the second solo show of Gioacchino Pontrelli (Salerno, 1966) at the gallery.

On this occasion, the artist presents a series of new works that investigate painting as a practice, rather than considering the canvas as a surface of projections, ideas and projects. Pontrelli says about his recent endeavours: "I want to get rid of the obsession of bedecking everything with meanings, signifiers and functional motivations."

The exhibition, accompanied by a critical text by Francesco Ventrella, develops as an exploration of the power of painting in terms of instinct and sensation: "For some time I have been striving, when I don't understand, to trust less rational elements in order to elaborate the sense and emotion that I feel in front of the matters of life, including art. I focus on the most emotional and sentimental aspects, which for me are the most authentic and powerful ones. Even more in these days when emotions seem obsolete and out of time."

Non chiedere features a thorough selection of works, spanning a large canvas and other medium and smaller formats, representative of the very recent production of the artist. The originality of Pontrelli's practice is confirmed by the combination of technical skills and a great chromatic sensitivity. Free self-determined shapes stand on the background of hyper-realistic inserts, which are juxtaposed to ponder the abstract composition. Between ornament and description, nature and domestic interior, Pontrelli's painting moves in search of a balance dictated by the pleasure of color and the assembly of images.