Where technology, ritual, and myth coexist

LEONARDO PASSERI

Contemporary Figurative| Perugia, Italy

Leonardo Passeri is an Italian contemporary artist born in Assisi in 1982 and based in the region of Perugia, where he works from his studio and gallery in Brufa di Torgiano. His artistic formation includes studies at Central Saint Martins School of Arts in London, an experience that exposed him to British philosophical thought and avant-garde cultural movements. Influences ranging from experimental contemporary art to cyber-goth aesthetics and visionary traditions have shaped his artistic language, encouraging a deeply introspective approach to image-making. Passeri’s work explores questions about human existence, technological change, and the evolution of culture, often constructing symbolic worlds that bridge myth, history, and speculative futures.

Passeri’s paintings are distinguished by a distinctive visual language that merges narrative symbolism with abstraction. Many of his works - particularly those in the Urbenica series - are created using acrylic and enamel on panel, often on large wooden surfaces that function almost like monumental illustrated pages or architectural fragments. His compositions frequently depict symbolic figures, anthropomorphic forms, and hybrid environments where technology, ritual, and myth coexist.

In Urbenica, shown above, for example, imagined futures unfold through scenes that reflect the fragile balance between human progress and collapse. Across related bodies of work such as Ab Origine and Fashion TEC.me, Passeri experiments with color, material, and form - ranging from vivid abstract landscapes and anthropomorphic shapes to compositions inspired by the structural language of fashion patterns. Through these varied series, his work consistently investigates themes of transformation, identity, and the tension between nature, technology, and human consciousness.

Together, these elements position Leonardo Passeri within a contemporary tradition of visionary painting. His artworks combine intense color, symbolic imagery, and layered narrative structures, inviting viewers into speculative worlds that reflect on humanity’s past, present, and possible futures.