Italian-Swedish artist ETNIK was until recently in Mantua, named the Capital of Culture in 2015, where he painted this interesting piece for the Without Frontier Project that also counts with the participation of Vesod, Fabio Petani and Corn79.
For the occasion ETNIK painted three circular structuresattached to the building’s façade in a suburban area of the city. The mural draws inspiration from Renaissance paintings and architecture of the Palazzo Te, a palace in the suburbs of Mantua and an excellent example of the mannerist style of architecture, designed by Giulio Romano. One of the cylindrical murals represents the exterior of the palazzo, whilst the second one the ceiling frescoes inside the building.
As seeing in earlier work ETNIK continues his explorations dedicated to the study of the city, part of his ongoing project “Prospect Cities” and characterised by a methodical approach to the urban landscape and painting has defined his style and imagery. The focus is on an interesting mix of architecture, graffiti and illustration, where he juxtaposed structures and perspectives of a deconstructed urban environment that is put together again in order to express its essence.
