Sandro Cocco

Born, Antwerp (1973). His father was of Italian descent (Sardinia) and his mother was Belgian. He started his Art education with a year of studying Illustration (1993) where he learned the basic techniques. But he chose to study Painting the following year (1994) because he wanted to explore his personal expression. During his painting studies (1994-1998), the first two years he mainly drew from observation: figure drawing, still lifes, interiors. During the second year of figure drawing, he started drawing without looking at the paper (blind drawing). This was the impulsion to start making 'his own' work in the third year. This is the moment (1996) when he started making abstract 'Amorphous' drawings. These are drawings in which he leaves the perception of reality behind him to discover his own inner shape world. This on the basis of the technique 'écriture automatique' that was often used by the Surrealists. After making drawings and paintings with 'Amorphous' forms, he felt the need to create those forms in other media, which manifested itself in prints, sculptures, installations, photography and videos. In the fourth year (1998) he wanted to explore the narrative and this resulted in twenty digital photo collages. For three years he continued to make photo collages (1999-2001). That is the reason why he decided to study Comics (2001-2003). He made a biographical Graphic Novel and published a few short stories in a few magazines, but he felt the urge to create 'free' Artworks again without any limits of expression. So in 2004 he started making abstract 'Amorphous' drawings again in 'écriture automatique'. Until in November 2005, he visited a friend who had a Surrealist-style painting on his wall. The use of symbols in that painting invited him to start his series 'Imaginary Rooms' in which he uses figuratively recognisable motifs. For him it's actually a kind of diary in 'écriture automatique' in which he hopes to communicate with the viewer. Last December (2021) he started a new series which he calls 'Head' series. He would like to create works to contemplate.

Group Exhibitions 1998. 'Coming Out', Provincial center, Antwerp 1998. 'Room of ideas', KDG-building, Groenplaats, Antwerp 1999. 'Twenty Photo Collages', Cultural Center Warande, Turnhout 1998. Nine, installations, Bruges 2003. Art Week, Renaix 2004. Art Week, Renaix 2005. Art Week, Renaix 2006. Fabric of Culture, Renaix 2020. 'Mouvement #6', Group exhibition, curated by Philippe Luyten, Cultural Center, Rochefort Solo Exhibitions 1998. 'Painting in evolution', installation, studio, Antwerp 1998. 'Bath', installation in public space, Antwerp 1998. 'My studio as an aquarium', installation, studio, Antwerp 1998. 'Total Installation', Antwerp 2000. Solo, Antwerp 2001. 'The Visit', Ghent 2002. 'The Other Side', Ghent 2009. 'Duo', watercolors, Naha, Okinawa, Japan 2013. 'L'Autre Côté', Rochefort 2017. 'Motz en Folie, Dinant 2017. Solo, drawings, Art University, Namur 2017'. Imaginary Rooms', Rochefort 2018. Solo 'Welcome to Wallonia', Rochefort

After years of observing and drawing from nature (models, still lifes, interiors, landscapes), I was looking for a method of working that could keep an adventure for myself and could keep me surprised of my own work. I discovered the technique of 'écriture automatique' (automatic drawing) in 1996. My working method is the following: I start drawing directly on an empty sheet of paper with Indian ink (without a sketch in pencil). I start drawing a few lines. I decide a shape somewhere on the paper. And this shape dictates me what I have to draw next to keep the composition 'in balance'. I don't have a plan, I don't know what is going to appear. That's exactly the state of mind I want or need to create. I started my abstract 'Amorphous' series in 1996 with this method. In 2005 I visited a friend and discovered a Surrealist painting on his wall that reminded me of the works by the painter Giorgio de Chirico. The use of symbols in this painting invited me to begin the series 'Imaginary rooms' in which I use for the first time visually recognisable elements in the hope to be able to communicate more with the viewer. But my working method kept the same. All the 'Imaginary Rooms' are made with the same technique of 'écriture automatique'. I hope that you will be able to enter my work with your own imagination and gives you a moment of visual pleasure, dream or contemplation.