Demian Divine
Demian Divine (b. 1993, Turin, Italy) lives and works between Italy and France.
Divine’s approach to the tradition is wild and primitive but through photography the work is liberated from established ways of being. Blurring the lines between abstraction and figuration, the artist creates mid to large-scale photographs delving deeply into the collective consciousness of humanity. The intersection between the physical and the digital is the center of his creative aim. He is looking for a somewhat state of confusion in which it is not easy to understand where the digital begins and the physical ends, and vice versa. Divine immerses himself in this hybrid dimension because he thinks it perfectly reflects the state of our society, a place where we are merged with our digital identities, sometimes letting the dichotomy of this dimensional clash overwhelm us; this research is a deep examination of the psychic effects that the encounter between tradition and technology creates.
Divine grew up with a deep interest in literature, philosophy and gnosticism, which heavily influenced his paintings and photography, so evocative titles are used in a poetic manner to reflect deeper meanings and cultural references. The artist is inspired equally by the Indian doctrine of Advaita Vedanta, the mysticism of Western Esotericism, as well as the digital culture and industrial advances of our time, with a particular focus on classical, yet ever-present, aesthetic needs of color and form.
The human figure has long preoccupied artists of all times; its story dominates the history of Art. In its imagination and in its image-making we find clues to how artists have grappled and engaged with the political and socio-cultural moods and attitudes of their times. We are in a time of renewed and committed interest in figurative painting, and Divine uses the figure - constrained and liberated from traditional support - as a many-sided prism in order to examine and interrogate the contemporary crucibles of gender, fiction and magic.
Demian Divine
Born in 1993 in Turin, Italy Resides and works between Turin (Italy) and Paris (France).
Education:
European Bachelor Of Science in Design (Advertising & Graphic Design), IAAD, Turin, Italy
Bachelor of Arts with Honours (Art Direction & Copywriting), IED, Turin, Italy
Academic Master of Fine Arts in Photography and Image-making (MFA Visual Arts), PCA, College of Art, Paris, France
Selected Exhibitions:
[2023] Paintings 3, O.S.D. 3, Turin / Italy (Pr. Solo Exhibition)
[2022] Huiles & Guaches, Private Loft in Saint-Germain-des-Près, Paris / France (Pr. Solo Exhibition)
[2022] Paintings 2, O.S.D. 2, Turin / Italy (Solo Exhibition)
[2021] Acryliques et Encres, Private Loft in Marais, Paris / France (Pr. Solo Exhibition)
[2019] Paintings 1, O.S.D. 1, Turin / Italy (Solo Exhibition)
[2018] Aquarelles et Pastels, Private Loft in Montparnasse, Paris / France (Pr. Solo Exhibition)
[2017] Alive, Art Cologne, Cologne / Germany (Art Fair)
[2017] Memories, Code, Copenaghen / Denmarck (Art Fair)
[2017] Repeated gestures, Wopart, Lugano / Switzerland (Art Fair)
[2017] Shine on you, The Others, Turin / Italy (Art Fair)
[2017] Dare Luce alla Luce, Emotional Lighting Project, Turin / Italy (Solo Exhibition)
[2017] Intuition, Privateview G., Turin / Italy (Group Exhibition)
[2016] Visions, Code, Copenaghen / Denmarck (Art Fair)
[2016] Brittleness, Wopart, Lugano / Switzerland (Art Fair)
[2016] The Blood of The Skin, Tom Design, Turin / Italy (Group Exhibition)
[2016] Recent Paintings, The Others, Turin / Italy (Art Fair)
[2016] Dessins, Here Collective, Turin / Italy (Group Exhibition)
[2015] Out Of the Blu, Galerie 95, Bienne / Switzerland (Solo Exhibition)
[2015] Being, The Others, Turin / Italy (Art Fair)
[2015] I due volti del cervello, Christie’s & Pinksie The Whale, Spazio Ersel, Turin / Italy (Group Exhibition & Auction)
[2015] Rainbow Dance, Bu.g Art Gallery, Turin / Italy (Solo Exhibition)
[2015] Game Over, Off Course Tour & Taxis, Bruxelles / Belgium (Art Fair)
[2015] El Viaje del Alma / Soul in Transition, Kunst Messe, Frankfurt / Germany (Art Fair)
[2015] Sweet Things, St Art, Strasbourg / France (Art Fair)
[2015] Enchantement, Art Elyseès, Paris / France (Art Fair)
[2015] Dreams, Galerie Matignon, Paris / France (Group Exhibition)
[2014] Dreaming Nature, Art International Zurich, Switzerland (Art Fair)
[2014] First Play, The Others, Turin / Italy (Art Fair)
[2014] Tempi B.u.i., Bu.g Art Gallery, Turin / Italy (Group Exhibition)
[2014] La Vie Parisienne, Galerie Talmart, Paris / France (Solo Exhibition)
[2014] Sofia Dea Madre, Unique Contemporary, Turin / Italy (Solo Exhibition)
[2014] Il Volo Della Fenice, Banca Investis, Lugano / Switzerland (Solo Exhibition)
[2014] Demian, Aquarelles et Encres Parisiens, Art Elyseès, Paris / France (Art Fair)
[2014] Sophia et ses sœurs, Brafa Art Fair, Bruxelles / Belgium (Art Fair)
[2013] Metamorphosis : Aaron/Demian, Banca Intermobiliare BIM, Turin / Italy (Solo Exhibition)
[2013] Les Jeunesse Incroyable, Galerie Matignon, Paris / France (Group Exhibition)
[2013] Les Yeux Flamboyant, Galerie Teodora, Paris / France (Solo Exhibition)
[2013] The Prestige, Galerie Teodora, Paris / France (Group Exhibition)
[2013] Aaron’s Life, O.S.D. 1, Paris Gouncort / France (Solo Exhibition)
[2013] Aaron Funeral, O.S.D. zero, Turin / Italy (Solo Exhibition)
[2013] 3QQQ, G.Box Project Space, Turin / Italy (Solo Exhibition)
Selected Collections:
Castello di Rivara, Rivara, Italy, EU
Bnl/Bnp Paribas, Rome, Italy, EU
Banca Investis, Milan/Rome, Italy, EU
Ersel, Turin, Italy, EU
Anselmo Basso Collection, Turin, Italy, EU
Ernesto Esposito Collection, Naples, Italy, EU
Crédit Suisse, Zurich, Switzerland, EU
Banca Intermobiliare Investimenti e Gestioni, Lugano, Switzerland, EU
Bianconi Collection, Genève, Switzerland, EU
Smith Collection, Melbourne, AU
By Art Matters, Hangzhou, China, AS
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Demian Divine is collected by various private collectors in Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Australia.
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Demian Divine features in various national and international private collections.
Scolarship & Awards:
Academic Prize, IED, Turin / Italy (Art Direction & Visual Art)
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Residency Program Award, PCA, College of Art, Paris / France (Visual Art & Photography)
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Arte Laguna Prize nominated, International Prize of Contemporary Art, Venice / Italy (Painting Section)
Residencies:
Photography Research Residency, AIR, International Arts Research Residency, Paris / France (Visual Art & Photography)
Résidences La Malterie, Centre Ressource Ville de Lille / France (Art Visuels)
Selected Publications & Press:
Olga Gambari, “L’Artista a passo di Danza” in La Repubblica (2015).
Ivan Fassio, “La Figura Illuminata” in Exibart (2016) at [https://www.exibart.com/autore/ivan-fassio/] consulted on 16 Dicembre, 2016.
Noemi Eva Cotterchio, “La Danza Arcobaleno di Demian” in Juliet Art Magazine (2015) at [https://www.juliet-artmagazine.com/en/demian-divine-rainbow-dance/] consulted on 01 September, 2015.
Andrea Rodi, “Rainbow Dance” in in Artribune (2015) at [https://www.artribune.com/mostre-evento-arte/demian-rainbow-dance/] consulted on 01 September, 2015.
Felicia Luciano, “Colore e Dàimon in mostra” in Artwort (2015) at [https://www.artwort.com/2015/09/01/news/demian-rainbow-dance/] consulted on 01 September, 2015.
Contact details:
Studio 1: Via Gioberti, 45 10128, Turin Italy
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Studio 2: Rue Saint Maur, 184 75011, Paris France
Official Website:
www.demian.co.uk
Email:
demiandivine.uk@gmail.com
Phone:
+39 3403636821
