Bio
Born in Sicily in 1991, Davide Gnani—known artistically as Saco—is a freelance abstract painter and graffiti artist. His artistic journey began with a deep fascination for the expressive freedom and raw communicative power of graffiti, an influence that remains a cornerstone of his work today.
Gnani honed his technical skills at the I.I.S. La Farina-Basile Institute of Art in Messina, specializing in Painting and Pictorial Decoration. A pivotal turning point occurred during his studies when he discovered Art Informel (Informal Art) and Action Painting. This approach, characterized by the rejection of traditional form in favor of gesture, spontaneity, and material presence, resonated profoundly with him. He found particular inspiration in the American and Italian masters of the 1960s, most notably Jackson Pollock and Emilio Vedova.
Following his graduation, Gnani dedicated two years to a full-time painting practice in Messina before relocating to Amsterdam, Netherlands, where he currently lives and creates.
Artist Statement
In my work, I explore the dynamic intersection where the raw, rebellious energy of urban graffiti meets the intuitive, fluid language of informal, abstract painting. My compositions are born from a dual inspiration: the vibrant, often chaotic chromatics of nature and the introspective weight of personal experience. I translate these influences into a tactile language using mixed media, most notably stucco and sand, which give the canvas a profound physical presence.
This approach is fundamentally a process of layering and excavation. I build dense, gestural surfaces that invite the viewer to look beyond the immediate aesthetic and into a history of marks and erasures. By blending the unbridled impulse of street writing with the meditative act of painting, I allow every color and texture to become a protagonist in an intimate, silent narrative. My art is an attempt to capture the ineffable—the moment emotion becomes form, and the spirit of the street merges with the organic pulse of the natural world.