ARTIST STATEMENT

Simone Coccia

Contemporary Oil Painter
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Painting Stillness in a Moving World

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My work explores the quiet tension between movement and stillness.

I paint moments suspended in time — where action pauses and something interior begins to surface. What interests me is not the event itself, but the threshold before it unfolds.

Through oil on canvas, I search for emotional space rather than narrative clarity.

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The Horse as Threshold

The recurring presence of the horse in my recent work represents strength held in restraint — power tempered by vulnerability.

The horse stands at the edge: of water, of landscape, of silence.
In that edge, I find a mirror for human experience.

We are most present in moments of hesitation — in the pause before movement.

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Water and Reflection

Water appears frequently in my paintings as both surface and symbol.

Its rhythm creates a visual meditation.
The repetition of waves softens perception and opens psychological depth.

The landscape becomes less a location and more an emotional field.

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Material Presence

My brushwork remains visible and tactile.

I am interested in the physicality of oil paint — its resistance, weight and capacity to hold light. Texture is not decorative; it carries tension and atmosphere.

The material presence of paint reinforces the emotional presence of the subject.

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Space for the Viewer

Though rooted in figurative imagery, my work moves toward reduction.

I aim to remove distraction and isolate the essential:
gesture, posture, horizon, silence.

What remains is space — space for the viewer to enter.

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In Conclusion,

Painting, for me, is an act of slowing down.

In a world defined by speed and distraction, I seek inner peace.

And I hope that in standing before the work, the viewer feels invited to do the same.

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 Simone Coccia