Rachele Frison

A suspended universe of myth, nature, and memory.

Bio

RACHELE FRISON (1995) lives and works in Milan. In 2023, she completed her studies at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts. She has taken part in group exhibitions in Lugano, Switzerland; Milan; and in China, Germany, Denmark and the United States. These opportunities led her to take part in the Verona Art Fair and the Arrival Fair, where she was a finalist for the Start-up Award.

Rachele Frison’s artistic practice stems from the need to inhabit the stories she tells. The artist often uses herself as a model and protagonist in her works, taking on the role of narrator and performer within a visual universe that draws on fairy tales, mythology, Italian folklore and the imagery of One Thousand and One Nights. Her paintings take shape from preparatory drawings in which symbols, archetypes and ritual figures are progressively developed to construct a broader narrative.

At the heart of her work lies the female figure, portrayed not as a passive subject but as an enigmatic, luminous presence and guardian of ancient knowledge. Her women reclaim their historical role as caretakers, healers and keepers of nature’s wisdom, freeing themselves from the stereotypical image of the demonised witch to reaffirm a strong, independent femininity that is fully aware of its own worth. The landscapes that inhabit her works are places suspended between dream and reality: forests, lakes, ritual tents and glades immersed in the night become symbolic settings in which memory, transformation and mystery intertwine. The woodland takes on the significance of a sacred space, a special place for listening and reconnecting with the natural world, whilst the relationship between humankind and nature is conceived as a balanced exchange, founded on respect and observation rather than supremacy. The nocturnal dimension is one of the distinctive elements of her artistic vision. The colour palettes, dominated by deep blues and intense purples, are not merely an aesthetic choice but take on a symbolic function, evoking rituality, spirituality and esoteric elements. The moon, natural cycles and folk medicine become points of reference through which to reflect on the possibility of rediscovering an ancient knowledge of nature and healing.

The choice of supports also reflects this focus on the material. She works on wood, various types of paper, linen and cotton, favouring natural materials and surfaces capable of evoking a tactile and organic dimension. Elements of nature are not merely represented but become an integral part of her artistic exploration, influencing the construction of the pictorial space and sometimes suggesting installation-based developments that transcend the limits of the canvas. Her works invite the viewer to enter a suspended space, where the narrative becomes an experience and painting becomes a place of memory, transformation and imagination.