Figurative Artist

“Paolo Terdich possesses the rare gift of tackling subjects of remarkable technical complexity with virtuosity, engaging in a continuous dialogue with the dynamic nature of form through a palette rich in vibrant nuances. His paintings convey to the viewer a profound sense of expressive discipline, earning him rightful recognition as a masterful and refined talent. His work is unmistakably rooted in realist research, recalling the Anglo-American school of the late twentieth century, characterized by a construction that avoids all rhetorical indulgence. The reality he portrays achieves a flawless level of mimesis, yet beneath the smooth, serene surface of a face lie unrest and unspoken questions, subtly embedded in the details like quiet warnings. In this way, a swimmer’s figure may suddenly appear fragmented — and not solely due to the water’s refraction”. (Paolo Levi).

Projects/Works...

My apprenticeship and artistic maturity did not follow a classic path. Initially I attended various painting courses, experimenting with different styles. The artistic approach evolved via the use of various techniques, from graphite, to watercolor, to acrylic and, finally, to oil. It is a continuous technical challenge in the attempt to make visible and tangible emotions and feelings with the use of different media and tools. 

My favorite subjects are human figures represented in situations of intimacy and solitude, in metaphysical and surreal atmospheres, both in confined environments, where their inner torment is expressed, and in aquatic environments, from which a profound sense of quiet emerges.

The aim is to render detailed figurative subjects, characterized by luminous surfaces and compelling images that offer a combination of disquiet, uncertainty, urgency, calm, and spirituality. Meditative in tone, I also try to exalt the light, to obtain paintings pervaded by uncommon atmospheres and shot with an evanescent brightness.

Although my works are often associated with hyperrealism, I am not particularly interested in the mere representation of the real. My expression is aimed, instead, at recreating atmospheres that lead beyond the visible, to penetrate the inner world of emotions. Accordingly, the figures, rather dynamic, are suspended in a surreal atmosphere, with a post-impressionistic dim light. My realism is, hence, silent, intimate, containing an unspoken, mysterious narrative, which offers psychologically loaded presentations.

This atmosphere has been, finally, emphasized in the works “waters”, where natural light and filtered light breaks the subjects in a multitude of dynamic reflections. Within such balance, the human beings seem to live in a precarious balance that belongs to peace, harmony and beauty. The swimmers become indeed an integral part of the mean, like animated beings at the mercy of the wave’s perpetual motion, in a transfigured reality, permeated with a boundless sense of freedom. Water represents the key symbol of life, its principle and origin, from which to reflect on a personal vision, with the coexistence between symbolic elements.

In these works I leverage my expressiveness to realize, through the visible, the experience of the invisible. This is how I try, with rather complex and challenging compositions, the rendering of water, the story of the sparkle of light on a surface perpetually in motion. Water, the main protagonist of the narrative, merges with the human figure, dressing it with new life. Immersed in the transparent liquid, whose symbolic component has its roots in the sacredness of baptism, purification, rebirth, transformation, reflection, the human figure is lost in it, letting the water distort its contours, mixing with it and almost becoming part of it. My transparencies explore the possibilities of the perception of reality, and the field of the visible thus becomes the space of vision and colour. Water then becomes a container of light, a territory of vision, a mysterious narration of inner conflicts.

In my last artistic project, Esodo, I explore new techniques and materials. Departing from my vibrant palette, I adopt a muted, earthy tonality to convey the terror and despair of the exiled. Using a more material approach, I blend surreal and metaphysical realism to evoke the harrowing experiences of those displaced. In this series, I continue my commitment to storytelling through painting, offering a powerful and evocative reflection on history.

My approach remains deeply rooted in figurative realism, yet it constantly evolves to capture the fluidity of human experience. Whether depicting water, still life, or historical memory, my work strives to create compositions that invite contemplation, merging detailed realism with a subtle, mysterious narrative.

 

2026: retrospective exhibition at Crocetti Museum in Roma. A tribute to the Memory of Giorgio Armani

THE FORM OF SILENCE – A Retrospective Exhibition by Paolo Terdich.

The Venanzo Crocetti Museum and Foundation in Roma presents The Form of Silence, a retrospective exhibition by Paolo Terdich, on view from 19 September to 1 October 2026. Curated by Alberto Moioli, in collaboration with the Paolo Salvati Archive, the exhibition is promoted by ICAS – Parliamentary Intergroup for Culture, Art and Sport, under the auspices of the Presidency of the Committee on Culture of the Italian Chamber of Deputies.

Bringing together 21 works, the exhibition traces the artist’s longstanding exploration of the relationship between the external world and the inner self, through recurring themes of light, water, memory and silence. It offers both a significant institutional recognition and an opportunity to appreciate the synthesis of more than twenty-five years of artistic research, marking an important milestone in Terdich’s artistic maturity.

As Federico Mollicone, President of the Committee on Culture of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, observes:

“The artist’s ability to depict reality with exceptional precision and formal clarity, before transforming it into something beyond the visible – allowing an atmosphere of suspension, reverie and profound mystery to emerge beneath an impeccable figurative language – is far more than a mere stylistic signature; it reflects a fundamental artistic vision. It is precisely through this tension that everyday objects and human bodies immersed in water transcend their material presence and open themselves to another dimension, confidently positioning Terdich’s work within the tradition of twentieth-century Magic Realism.”

Alberto Moioli, curator of the exhibition, offers the following reflection:

“In Terdich’s work, water becomes a space for contemplation, almost always inhabited by a human presence. A body immersed, a figure dwelling within this element with the natural ease and quiet unease of someone who knows they are a guest in a world that remains beyond their grasp. The blue that dominates these canvases carries the full weight of the symbolism it has accumulated over centuries: infinity, silence, distance and memory. It is deep and layered, continually shifting in meaning according to the light.”

A TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY OF GIORGIO ARMANI

In view of the first anniversary of Giorgio Armani’s passing, on the 4th of September, I painted this commemorative portrait as my personal tribute to one of the most distinguished and influential figures in Italian creativity, elegance, and culture. Through his unwavering vision, discipline, and sensitivity, Armani left an indelible mark on the history of design, art, and the cultural identity of our country.

As a fellow native of Piacenza, I felt a profound desire to dedicate this work to his memory, symbolically bringing together his universal legacy and the shared roots of the land from which we both came. It is my sincere hope that this portrait will be embraced as a heartfelt tribute of admiration and gratitude. Discussions are therefore underway with several institutions to find a permanent home worthy of preserving its meaning and significance.

The portrait depicts Giorgio Armani against the backdrop of Rivalta Castle, a place to which he was deeply attached and where he now rests. Through this setting, I sought to evoke the more intimate dimension of the man beyond the public figure, revealing a quieter, deeply personal presence that continues to resonate through memory.

Giorgio Armani - a tribute, oil on canvas, 2026, 100x100 cm.

Key Events in 2025

Solo Exhibition Esodo, presented by the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Lorenzo Fontana, hosted in the prestigious Sala del Cenacolo, within the Vicolo Valdina Complex at the Italian Chamber of Deputies in Roma.

This art project represents an unprecedented expressive form dedicated to remembering the tragedy of the Foibe massacres and the mass exodus that profoundly affected the Italian populations of Fiume, Istria, Venezia Giulia, and Dalmatia at the end of the Second World War.

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Solo Exh Esodo- io pres applausi

The retrospective exhibition Riflessi in sospensione – 25 Years of Art (2000–2025) by Paolo Terdich celebrated twenty-five years of artistic practice within the prestigious setting of the Salone Monumentale of Palazzo Gotico in Piacenza.

The exhibition was hosted by the Municipality of Piacenza, with the support of Councillor Christian Fiazza, in recognition of its significant contribution to the city’s cultural identity and to the promotion of local contemporary art. Over the past thirty years, this form of institutional collaboration has been granted to only two major retrospective exhibitions by artists from Piacenza.

The exhibition presented sixty-six paintings, organized into thematic and chronological sections that traced the evolution of my artistic journey. It attracted approximately one thousand visitors and received numerous generous comments and expressions of appreciation

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Commissions...

Interested in a commissioned painting?

I also realize original art works on collector’s request. If you would like a works made on a specific subject, please contact me at: p_terdich.art@paoloterdich.it.

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“Giulia” – oil on canvas – 100 x 80 cm.

“Acqua 42” – oil on canvas – 100 x 150 cm.

Contact

For any information about my art or for any enquire, please e-mail me directly at: p_terdich.art@paoloterdich.it, or use the form below. Thanks.

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