Mario Loprete is an Italian artist who has distinguished himself in the contemporary art scene through innovative use of materials and a unique vision of urban art. His work lies at the crossroads of painting and sculpture, exploring themes of memory, identity, and urban transformation.
Loprete uses raw materials like cement and plaster to create works that evoke urban architectural structures. This choice is not only aesthetic but also conceptual: cement, with its hardness and permanence, becomes a symbol of collective and personal memory, fixing the traces of our urban existence over time. Reinforced cement (concrete) was widely used two thousand years ago by the Romans. It tells a millennia-old story, one full of amphitheaters, bridges, and roads that have conquered the ancient and modern world. Now, concrete is a synonym of modernity. Everywhere you go, you find a concrete wall: it is modern mankind’s footprint. Plaster, on the other hand, with its fragility, represents the vulnerability and transience of human life and experiences.
His works are imbued with a strong sense of nostalgia and reflection on the human condition. Through the use of mixed techniques, the artist creates textured and layered surfaces that invite the observer to reflect on the complexity of memory and identity. His sculptures, emerge as contemporary archaeological relics, suggesting a personal and collective narrative. His pieces often incorporate elements of graffiti, echoing street art and the ephemeral messages that populate cities. However, through the artistic process, these messages are fixed and immortalized, creating a dialogue between the ephemeral and the permanent.
Loprete has been painting hip-hop artists since the nineties, and some of these portraits are central to this exhibit, in particular. He paints these musicians of “urban culture” on cement, calling out their place within our civilization and giving permanence to their legacy. In 2021, Snoop Dogg posted Loprete’s portrait of him on Instagram. The rapper’s 60 million followers took notice and Loprete was suddenly inundated with media requests and acquisitions from many important public and private collections.
On exhibit at Centennial Hills Library from February 13, 2025 through April 27, 2025
Monday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Tuesday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Wednesday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Thursday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Friday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Saturday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Sunday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
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