Aria d’oro

In “Aria d’oro”, I wanted to give form to a light, impalpable presence — a little spirit, perhaps a fairy — emerging like a breath of air against a golden sky. The rarefied, dreamlike atmosphere sets the stage for a delicately surreal face, surrounded by curls and spirals that evoke light thoughts, wandering dreams, or suspended melodies.

I drew the spirit on paper using graphite pencils and ink, cut it out, and mounted it on a 60 x 80 cm wooden panel set within a 38 mm thick pine frame. The panel was previously treated with gold leaf.

The gold leaf surface radiates light and movement, creating iridescent reflections that interact with the space and catch the viewer’s eye. I chose to keep the image minimal, allowing the graphite on paper to express its understated elegance — a balance between contemporary style and classical inspiration.

Perhaps this fairy holds some kind of magical power — who can say? What’s certain is that she has the undeniable magic of brightening any space.