Nicola Magrin – Del cielo e della terra

Heir to a long tradition stretching from Turner to Folon, Nicola Magrin describes watercolour as the closest technique to the soul. His approach – rapid and choreographic – connects his mind, heart and hand. Water, the raw material for his art, serves as a link between the watercolour and the living world.

His experiences in western Canada in 2012 marked a turning point in his life: raging torrents, wolves, snow-covered mountains, the night sky and mists became the hallmarks of an oeuvre infused with awe and humility towards the world. Magrin transcends mere descriptions, pushing the boundaries between reality and dreams, in works that depict both the scenery he saw for himself and other landscapes based on what he had observed.

This poetic quest is enhanced by his reading of works by major literary authors – from Jack London to haikus and from Henry David Thoreau to Primo Levi – for which he produces illustrations that demonstrate a rare ability to condense the ideas and emotions into a single image.