Alchemy

Alchemy marks Italian artist Simafra’s first exhibition in India — and with it, a new beginning in his life and art. Emerging from a deeply introspective period that questioned the nature of being and creation, the works in this exhibition (2025) embody a quiet yet potent reawakening. Having moved through phases of rupture and renewal, Simafra now turns toward illumination — both as subject and as state of mind.

Each canvas, textured and luminous, bears traces of his philosophical journey — from a “symbolic death” to his immersion in Eastern and Taoist thought. The recurring idea of blooming again forms the emotional and conceptual heart of this body of work. What once felt grounded in materiality and heaviness now appears lifted — ethereal forms, pale golds, and gradients of white and earth — suggesting a shedding of weight and a return to essence.

These works emerge from a space of rediscovery. They carry lightness, clarity, and renewal — the feeling that follows after letting go of what no longer serves you. The heavy textures and darker tones of his earlier works have evolved into softer hues, open spaces, and luminous layers — like witnessing first light after a long night.

In Mumbai, Simafra’s practice finds resonance in a culture where spirituality and daily life often converge — where cycles of renewal are lived realities. His work, guided by instinct and inner necessity, invites us to witness what it means to begin again — not from absence, but from awareness.