Cluster Illustration presents "Misspell" by Ronch

Italian artist Stefano Ronchi’s latest solo show with Cluster London delves deeply into the artist’s own subconscious to create intricate worlds that are surreal and unnerving.

Now based in London, the last year and a half has felt like a period of transition for Ronchi. Much like a caterpillar builds a chrysalis within which it can transform into a butterfly, Ronchi has retreated to an intimate and internal space to develop the paintings that form this show, titled Misspell. His work, he explains, is like the work of a magician – transforming simple materials – oils, chemicals and canvas – into magical characters and narratives.

Misspell is the fourth exhibition that Ronchi has presented with Cluster Illustration since 2015, marking the next chapter of an ongoing collaborative partnership. Where previous collections were inspired by stimuli like poetry, music, or fairy stories, this series is the result of a deep excavation of the artist’s inner world and ongoing experimentation with the materials he uses in his studio.

The Misspell oil paintings are still very much within Ronchi’s genre of magical realism. Both recognisable and strange, the scenes play with the viewers levels of belief offer new, warped perspectives on seemingly familiar scenes. He twists and manipulates scenes from history, childhood, nostalgia, and myth.

As a student, Ronchi was trained to use a magnifying glass to capture a high degree of detail in etching work. This love for the lens and for playing with perspective has characterised his paintings. He has a meticulous attention to detail and distorts elements of the paintings into bizarre proportions.

This technique allows him to highlight contradictions and absurdities within society and make nightmarish scenes out of familiar component parts.

“A butterfly in the bin,” he says whimsically. “Paradoxes, ugliness, drifts of our social system hidden inside the simple beauty of things. If you have the time to see this in my paintings, then you have the time to see it in real life. Think, act accordingly. Stay punk-surrealist.”

Misspell, curated by Ema Marinova, is on show at London’s Oxo Tower from 6 to 12 October 2021. It acts as a special edition exhibition in a larger celebration of craft, art, illustration, and design.

Private View: 6th October | 5:30pm - 8:30pm

Opening Times: 7 - 10th October | 11am - 6pm

Find out more about the exhibition and the artist here:

www.cluster-london.com | [email protected] | +44 7808 659141