Radem

Radem (b. 1980, Udine) lives and works in Venezia. Radem received the call to paint animals during a trip to Colombia. The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is a unique pyramid-shaped mountain range located at the northern end of the Andes in northern Colombia. On its slopes live four distinct but related peoples: the Wiwa, Kogi, Kankuamo and Arhuaco. Together they number more than 30,000 individuals. Radem's journey was taken together with the Arhuaco tribe and their spiritual leader, the Mamos. Their life is aimed at infinite balance: everything that happens is a consequence of the human attitude toward his or her surroundings. They explain that much of the evils that affect the world are feeding on and drawing strength from the unscrupulous behavior of a few and the indifference of everyone. Since that journey, the theme of the animal totem has grown and been deepened by the artist. A totem represents the wisdom, knowledge, and extreme strength of Mother Nature. More than a guide, the totem animal can be considered a true helper, a companion in life. In most cases it is both a spiritual and a real, flesh-andblood entity. Particularly in Amedeo e Pippo, Amedeo, the cat, represents in our subconscious independence, ambivalence, and elusiveness, while Pippo, the fish, represents abundance. Amedeo says, “Look at me and guess!” While Pippo flows with respect and confidence. The artist's lived experience has liberated her creativity, which is now moved from the representation of the unconscious. The painting is bright, vivid, realistic. The color is mellowly spread, and the materiality is clear. Radem has succeeded with this work in dwelling on what is daily the source of her inspiration and making it her main reference. The metaphor that the two animals represent digs deep into the characteristics inherent in the unconscious and represents them with intuitiveness and harmony.

Art Curator Alessia Maniscalco