Living Stillness

The artist-in-residence in the Fall of 2019-2020 was Mr Nunzio Paci, an Italian artist whose paintings and drawings bring out unexpected connections between human or animal anatomy on the one hand, and plants and flowers on the other hand. The intertwining of the human form with other natural forms is a motif in Art Nouveau art, but Paci’s drawing style seems to owe more to Renaissance anatomical and botanical drawings such as Leonardo da Vinci’s.

Moreover, like Leonardo, Paci relies on close observation, for example, of anatomical wax models and even genuine human corpses. In other words, he draws from life, or, strictly speaking, from death. As the present exhibition catalog makes clear, dead animal bodies are becoming more prominent in his work. The result is strangely beautiful, but not macabre. Human and animal anatomy is revealed as a part of life; life, in turn, is presented as a stage within a larger cycle that includes also death and decay.

Other contemporary artists (e.g., Damien Hirst) have taken an interest in anatomy and death, often in an attempt to deliver “shock value”. Paci is aiming for a more timeless quality—as timeless as human anatomy perhaps. Unsurprisingly, his work has already been exhibited around the globe: in Europe, the US, the Middle East, and Asia. Paci has also been the recipient of several awards.