I am not Basquiat | 24 Apr 2026 | Rome Art Week

I am not Basquiat

In "I am not Basquiat", Mauro Crisari transforms the energy of street art into a personal language. Surfaces and pop icons layer time and memory in a style of painting that reflects the present without imitating it.

The title “I am not Basquiat” signals a deliberate distancing from imitation. Mauro Crisari draws on the energy of street art and visual layering to develop a personal artistic language.

In his paintings, time becomes a tangible substance, and surfaces such as wood or canvas bear traces of lived experience that transform the work into a layering of stories. Pop icons, from Mickey Mouse to the Beatles, function as universal codes. Even when covered, they remain recognisable, a sign of how much images shape our gaze.

The result is a layered yet lucid style of painting that reflects the present without chasing it, holding memory and vision together.

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