Artist of the day: Artist of the Day, JUne 6, 2025 : Alessandro Florio, an Italian emerging artist, painter (#2298)

Friday, June 6, 2025

Artist of the Day, JUne 6, 2025 : Alessandro Florio, an Italian emerging artist, painter (#2298)

Alessandro Florio is a tattoo-artist-turned-painter who is deeply influenced by his Sicilian heritage. Hailing from Taormina on Sicily’s east coast, Florio's work reflects the island’s rich history and natural beauty. Seamlessly blending elements from Byzantine mosaics and frescoes, his reductionist approach to painting incorporates streamlined subjects and softened forms that pay homage to his roots while offering a contemporary perspective on figurative art.

Florio first got in touch with the artistic environment through the world of tattoos, which he is very passionate about. The connection between painting and tattooing lies in his necessity for expression, the most intimate one, that allows him to describe how he feels.

The switch from his activity as a tattoo artist to a painter came while he was visiting the Louvre in Paris, and by seeing the works of the Old Masters. He felt the necessity of working on bigger subjects and not just small ones like those that are typical in tattoos. In his works, there are elements that recall both his Sicilian roots and are also influenced by Oriental art and the respect for nature.

Alessandro held his first solo exhibition in 2023 at the historic Palace of the ex-Magistrates’ Court in Taormina. Later that year, he exhibited nine works with the Gitano Faena Group during Art Basel in Miami. In December 2024, Alessandro participated in Art Miami during Art Basel, presenting three paintings, all of which sold within two days.

Florio’s artistic practice is not only about aesthetic appeal but also about cultural preservation. Working from his atelier in Taormina, situated within an ancient building, he draws inspiration from the history that surrounds him while seeking to capture the soul of Sicily, past and present. Combining elements of classical beauty with expressive brushwork, his talent for fusing the old and the new makes each piece of Alessandro Florio art feel both familiar and fresh, appealing to a wide range of tastes.

© 2025. All content on this blog is protected by international copyright laws All images are copyrighted © by Alessandro Florio or assignee. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, the use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained. All images used for illustrative purposes only