Art has always been a medium for exploring the depths of human experience, and for Venezuelan-born, London-based artist Cipriano, it’s also a way of reconstructing memory, identity, and connection. His latest exhibition, Pentimento 2020–2024, displayed at Caracas’s TAC Room, offers a profound insight into his evolving creative journey during an extraordinary period of introspection and reinvention.
The Art of Reworking and Rethinking
At its core, Pentimento is about revisiting the past, both literally and metaphorically. During the pandemic, when blank canvases were out of reach, Cipriano turned to his older works, breathing new life into them by repainting, layering, and transforming.
This approach draws from the Italian term “pentimento,” meaning “repentance,” used in art to describe alterations that reveal the artist’s evolving vision. However, for Cipriano, this isn’t about regret or erasure—it’s about discovery. Each stroke is a conversation with his past self, a journey through “new paths that the paintings of the past point out to me,” as he describes it.
His methodology becomes a practice of excavation and reconstruction, echoing the architecture of memory itself—fragmented, layered, and fluid. The result is a body of work that feels deeply personal yet universally resonant, inviting viewers to reflect on their own narratives and how they evolve over time.
A Dual Creative Drive: Building and Unbuilding
Cipriano’s artistic vision is marked by two contrasting impulses: the meticulous construction of an engineer and the exploratory deconstruction of a contemporary artist. His early desire to build cities, inspired by his engineering studies, blends seamlessly with his need to question and dismantle the structures around him.
In Pentimento, this tension plays out in the way he juxtaposes rigid geometries with organic disruptions. Clean lines give way to breaks and slips, creating works that simultaneously evoke order and chaos. It’s a striking metaphor for modernity itself—where the precision of urban landscapes often conceals the messy, lived experiences of those who inhabit them.
The Materiality of Memory: The Allure of Oil
Throughout his career, Cipriano has remained devoted to oil painting, captivated by its historical weight and unpredictable nature. For him, oil is more than a medium—it’s a collaborator. Its temperamental drying process and vivid hues introduce an element of chance, aligning perfectly with his creative philosophy.
“Oil adds chance to my creative process,” Cipriano explains. It’s this element of unpredictability that keeps his work fresh, alive, and ever-evolving.
A Migrant’s Perspective: Creating Across Borders
Living in the United Kingdom for over two decades has shaped Cipriano’s perspective, both personally and artistically. The reality of migration—a life split between places—deeply informs his work. The distance from Venezuela allows him to see his homeland through new eyes, offering insights that might elude him if he were immersed in its daily rhythms.
“Creating from a distance has helped me see and understand things that would otherwise be more difficult to understand,” he reflects. This duality—of belonging and separation—imbues his work with a poignant sense of longing and connection.
An Invitation to Reflect and Reconnect
As Pentimento 2020–2024 invites audiences to explore Cipriano’s introspection, it also offers a broader message about the power of art to connect us with our histories, our identities, and each other. Each painting is a testament to resilience, adaptability, and the beauty of imperfection
Whether you’re an artist, an art enthusiast, or someone simply seeking inspiration, Cipriano’s journey through Pentimento reminds us of the transformative power of revisiting the past—not to dwell, but to uncover new possibilities.
If you’re in Caracas, this extraordinary exhibition, featuring guided tours and forums, will be open at the TAC Room until early 2025. For those unable to attend, Cipriano’s story is a reminder that art is a journey, not just of creating but of rediscovering ourselves along the way.
Let his work inspire you to pick up a brush, explore your own layers, and see where the process takes you. As Cipriano himself says, “A moment of ‘reset’ is coming.” Perhaps it’s time for all of us to embrace our own.
