With his upcoming inclusion in the 258th RA Summer Exhibition, we were pleased to join artist Alberto Fusco in the studio to discuss the process of creating his intricate paper works, and how his background in teaching and interest in Greek mythology have inspired his work.

 

 

Alberto Fusco's wall-based works begin with the artist's large collection of magazines, largely made up of The Red Bulletin Magazine. Alberto thinks of his process as one of "metamorphosis", where pages from the magazines are recycled and restructured, often spray painted or interspersed with coloured paper, to build up the designs. The aim, for Alberto, is for "something that was once loved to be used in a new way", and "hopefully now be admired for years."

 

 

Alberto's current practice began through teaching, following the 2008 financial crash. While teaching, Alberto entered into a sculpture course, where he began experimenting with paper sculpting.

"The teacher allowed it, so I said 'okay, I can develop this more. I made a few and we did a student show, and everybody loved it, I managed to sell the piece! So I thought, 'I can make something out of this'. And that was it!"

Following this, Alberto began collecting magazines and testing the limits of the material, which led him to his first art fair in 2012.

"I found a gallery straight away, it was a smaller gallery but that was how I started. I began to do the Affordable Art Fairs, and that was it. I started working with TAG 5 or 6 years later."

 

 

"I think of them like flowers", Alberto shared about his work. Each piece features a carefully considered palette of colours, purposefully chosen to evoke the natural world and create a harmonious visual. Alberto shared that he likes to use colours that "let the eye rest" within the work, like white or paler tones, to allow the piece to be enjoyable rather than overwhelming. At the heart of each geometric paper shape, which can be imagined as a flower in bloom or a floating lily pad, is a singular hand cut piece of mosaic tesserae, a small nod to Alberto's past training as a mosaic artist.

 

 

As noticeable when browsing his works, each of Alberto's pieces is named after a figure from Greek myth, which Alberto shared he has a great interest in. "I like the stories behind them," he told us, and "there are so many stories, there is always a new name to choose." When talking about the works in progress dotted around the studio, Alberto recited to us the story of Apollo and Daphne, which has inspired the title of an upcoming piece.

 

 

We look forward to seeing Alberto's original work at this year's RA Summer Exhibition, running from the 16th June - 23rd August! Tickets are available HERE.

Works from Alberto Fusco are available to view and purchase on his artist page. You can also browse works through his catalogue HERE.