Rachele Moscatelli, Black hair, 2019, oil painting, collage on paper, 50 × 70 cm
Rachele Moscatelli, Blonde girl, 2020, oil painting, oil pastel on paper, 50cm × 70 cm
Rachele Moscatelli
Moscatelli’s work explores themes of female identity, approached through a lens that is neither ideological nor prejudiced. Drawing inspiration from ancient art, she juxtaposes classical forms with ultramodern elements, disrupting traditional imagery to create compositions that float in an aseptic space — or one defined by signs and surface. Her subjects often emerge from the world of fashion, where she builds richly layered textures through precise colorwork.
Her creative process is deeply informed by childhood memories and an expansive photographic archive. By blending and reinterpreting these past references, she transforms them into contemporary visual forms. In her work, skin functions as both theme and texture — a dynamic surface that lends each piece a lifelike presence, as if the image itself breathes.
A: Some of the “unspoken codes” that shape how we move through the world are social expectations tied to gender, class, and cultural background. Within the context of the art world, these codes can subtly influence how works are received, how artists are perceived, and what is considered “appropriate,” “acceptable,” or “aesthetically valuable.”
They often define how we are expected to present ourselves—as individuals and as artists—without ever being explicitly articulated. These invisible frameworks both limit and protect, structuring social dynamics and shaping our sense of belonging within artistic communities and institutions.
Through my work, I aim to question these codes and reflect on how they silently inform our gestures, choices, and visibility.
Q: How does your practice, or this particular work, engage with or respond to these codes?
A: My art explores themes of female identity, approaching the subject with a non-prejudiced yet non-ideological lens. I often draw inspiration from ancient art, juxtaposing it with ultramodern elements that disrupt traditional imagery, creating a sense of floating in an aseptic space or a space defined by signs. My subjects are frequently derived from the world of fashion, where I meticulously layer colors to create rich textures and surfaces.
The hallmark of my work is my obsessive attention to detail. This focus invites viewers to engage closely with my pieces, discovering hidden worlds and personal connections upon closer inspection. From a distance, my compositions appear beautifully cohesive, but up close, they reveal intricate details that evoke personal memories and emotions.
Q: How do you navigate the balance between individuality and collective life — finding and standing by your own voice while also being connected to and supported by others?
A: I find balance by continuously moving within it—a quiet, intentional act of staying grounded while navigating the in-between.
For me, preserving individuality within a collective means choosing to resemble each other—not out of pressure, but through conscious, gentle alignment, free from excessive influence from the outer world. The collective is real, alive—but it’s up to us to draw from it what is nourishing, without allowing it to dilute our essence. I don’t seek approval, nor do I try to be liked by everyone—that would be both exhausting and impossible. I continue walking my creative path, trusting that my art can carry fragments of meaning worth sharing—even quietly.
Q: What has your path as an artist revealed to you about resilience, belonging, or empowerment in your own life?
A: Moments of crisis alternate with happy periods of great productivity and recognition. My artistic journey has taught me that resilience is an integral part of creation: it means continuing to produce even in times of uncertainty, when recognition is lacking, or when you feel out of place. In those moments, I realize how art is both a form of resistance and a form of healing.
It has helped me build a sense of belonging—not so much to a system, but to a community of sensitive people who share questions more than answers. As for empowerment, making art has been—and continues to be—a way to become aware of my voice, my emotions, and my way of being in the world. Through creative work, I am able to affirm who I am.
Q: Can you share what guided your choice of the work included in Unspoken Codes, and what you hope it might evoke for viewers?
A: I hope that the works on display will evoke doubts, questions, and reflections in those who see them—particularly regarding the condition of women, the body, and what is considered “beautiful,” as well as what lies beneath the surface—the outer shell of a body.
To quote Paul Klee: “Art does not reproduce what is visible, but makes visible what is not always seen.” Through my art, I represent what is usually unseen. By layering color, manipulating images, and overlapping elements, I make visible everything that deliberately challenges the canon, proportion, and aesthetics approved by our society.