Tierre is an Italian-trained artist whose practice explores the tension between chaos and stillness through a predominantly black-and-white visual language. Working intuitively across painting, collage, ink, paper, and textiles, the artist is interested in balance, time, transformation, and the traces left behind through the creative process.
Having begun painting at the age of 18, Tierre went on to study at the Academy of Fine Arts in Sassari, Italy, graduating in 2006. Their practice combines formal training with an instinctive and meditative approach, allowing emotion and state of mind to guide each work as it develops.
Recycling plays an important role within Tierre’s process. Fragments of previous works, collected ink drips, paper, and textiles are given new purpose within later compositions, reflecting a wider belief in second chances and transformation. Geometry also appears throughout the work, often suggesting portals or connections to ancient times without referring to any specific historical symbol or narrative.
Influenced by artists including Cy Twombly, Anish Kapoor, Anselm Kiefer, and Tracey Emin, Tierre’s work engages with ideas of space, torment, pain, infinity, connection, and love. Currently experimenting with black canvases and considering how future bodies of work might inhabit different exhibition spaces, Tierre continues to investigate how gesture, material, and emotion can come together to create what the artist describes as a form of harmonious chaos.
Are you self-taught, or did you undertake formal artistic training?
I started painting when I was 18 years old and pursued my studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Sassari, Italy, where I graduated in 2006.
How would you define your visual language or conceptual approach?
I am driven by the idea of finding a balance between chaos and stillness, represented by black and white. It is an informal approach, where gesture is lost and then found again within pieces from previous works.
I feel the need to recycle every drop of ink that is spilled, as it belongs to the canvas at a certain point in its existence. It is a reflection on time and how the actions I take lead me towards a harmonious chaos.
Can you describe your creative process from conception to completion?
I spend a lot of time thinking until I sit and stare at an empty canvas. It can take days before I do anything. I wait for the right feeling to move me towards the first approach.
It is not a linear dialogue. I can pause for days or weeks before I complete a work, which I observe daily as a way of paying homage to it and checking how it feels.
My state of mind dictates the process and how I proceed. The train of thought I have at that moment guides the action towards either a gentle or forceful gesture.
I allow my emotions to come forward until I reach a meditative state, where the body almost begins moving in response to not wanting to remain still. There is an urgency to respond to a stimulus that I visualise in my mind. However, the body does not respond to a fixed visual project, but rather to a collage of gaps that need to be fulfilled with harmony.
Does narrative, symbolism, or storytelling play a role within your work?
I do use geometric figures. I like to think of them as portals of connection with ancient times. However, there is no intention to replicate anything specific.
Which artists have most influenced you, historically or contemporarily, and why?
Many artists have influenced me, from ancient cave paintings through to today. Cy Twombly, Anish Kapoor, Anselm Kiefer, and Tracey Emin are a few examples.
They deal with space, torment, pain, infinity, connection, and love. These are all sentiments that inspire me in one shape or form.
What personal, cultural, or environmental influences shape your practice?
I recycle many things, as I strongly believe in second chances. I like to give that opportunity to people, but also to objects and things in general.
I am drawn to ancient methods of painting, but I use them in a modern way. I also like to experiment with things I do not know how to use in order to create a new way of working with them.
Within my canvases, I use paper and textiles as a way of recycling my old works. I collect drips of ink using tissues so that I can incorporate an element of chance into my paintings. I also do this with consideration for the environment.
I love the planet, and this generates a certain energy and sense of respect for it, which fuels my work.
Where is your studio based, and how does the space inform your creativity?
I am based in a room in my home. The space definitely plays a part in my work, as I have a tendency towards large-format canvases, which I find difficult to realise at this moment in my life.
Do you have any rituals or rhythms that anchor your studio practice?
I have a state of mind that guides me towards creating. It is not related to rituals, but rather to the rhythms of life.
What bodies of work or projects are you currently developing?
I have started painting on black canvases to understand the negative version of the classic.
I also write down ideas for solo shows, focusing on how the work could be exhibited according to hypothetical venues.
Where can collectors encounter or acquire your work?
I do not currently have gallery representation, so the best way to acquire my work is to contact me directly.
Some of my work can also be seen on Instagram and on my website, as well as in several collective exhibitions that I take part in throughout the year.
