Ancestral Vibrations of the Land - The Painting of Pol Petrino
- Feb 25
- 2 min read
Italian multidisciplinary artist Pol Petrino’s work is characterized by a dynamic, fluid movement, merging land art installations, painting, and performance. His creative process involves a sacred ritual, a profound dialogue between man and nature as he discovers new environments. This deep connection is manifested through the use of stones and minerals in his art, the terrains he identifies as creative fields, and his special affinity for water. Petrino captures the colours, feelings, and spirit of the diverse locations he visits, from Aboriginal traditional lands in Australia to wild areas across Asia and Europe, incorporating these elements directly into his paintings.
“In this ritual of energy exchange between man and nature, where the mind fades, and the body is guided by natural force, the fruit of the union manifests in an ephemeral sign, a testament to what has just occurred.”
By often placing raw fabric directly on the sand and rocks, the artist engages his full body to trace the earth’s textures using the lithic materials he gathers locally. Spirals and circles, transparencies, dense and ethereal surfaces animate the paintings, appearing like sedimentary traces carved by water moving across a shoreline. In this sense, each piece becomes an eternal physical memory of Petrino’s performative act, mirroring both his intent and the raw resonance of the land.
Pol Petrino’s series explores diverse spiritual and geographical inspirations: Hiera, born from a trip to Vulcano, addresses infinity and cycles; Walidwipa, created in Bali in 2023, reflects the island’s tripartite division, examining the coexistence of good and evil. The Inner series uses local Piedmont soil and stone on canvas, reflecting north-west Italian colours, with the first painting featuring a central luminous spot symbolizing inner energy. His recent, minimalist, and profoundly spiritual Songlines series utilizes whites, greys, and blacks to create depth, paying homage to the Aboriginal tradition of using songs, stories, and dances as ancestral maps.
In the heart of Milan’s Brera Design district, a selection of works from the series Hiera, Walidwipa, Inner, and Songlines is currently on display at Palazzo Molteni, as part of KALPA Gallery’s art consultancy project. This venue, recently re-envisioned by Vincent Van Duysen, functions as an urban ecosystem where art and design mutually enhance each other. Petrino’s textural paintings offer a subtle counterpoint to the timeless elegance of Molteni’s sophisticated interiors. These works transport the viewer to uncharted natural topographies, acting as tactile anchors that embody a return to the elemental. They ground the sophisticated setting of the Palazzo by bearing witness to the earth’s primal energy and invoking the solidity of stone and the fluidness of water.
Influenced by his main professor at the University of Mendrisio, internationally renowned Indian architect Bijoy Jain. At the threshold of his career, his work has been presented in shows in Switzerland, Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Indonesia. Most recent exhibitions include Oltre la Pietra at the Castel Grande, Bellinzona, 2025; Prima Materia at the Palazzo Sforza Cesarini, Genzano, 2024; Under The Cover at the Come Art Space, Carrara, and The Other Art Fair at The Cutaway, Sydney, both in 2023.
Photography of Pol Petrino's creative process and artwork details:
Flavio Brancaleone, Courtesy of the Artist
Photography of Pol Petrino's work at Palazzo Molteni: Pui Yi @puipuiphoto
