Célestin Messaggio

Celestin Messaggio is an Italian painter, born in 1952 in Lombardie. His parents moved to France three years later in Normandy,where he still lives.

He began his career with pastel, but gave it up gradually for oil painting which allows him to experiment with materials along with the palette knife. Venice is a recurrent source of inspiration for the artist, which paradoxically echoes his adopted region, Normandy: "My current desire encourages me to depict the warm lights of the South, the waters of Venice are a mirror like image for me as it reflects the water garden of Giverny" says the artist. Color plays an important role in Celestin Messaggio's creations. "When I portray the view of Venice for example, confronted with this splendor, I still have the feeling of having already visited these places, even if it isn't the case. The roughcast renders of the buildings, reflection of calm waters and light powdered with golden ocher trigger a strange feeling of nostalgia inside me" says the artist.