Chiara Collizzolli

Black Wall Street Gallery proudly presents the debut solo exhibition of internationally recognized artist Chiara Collizzolli, curated by Dr. Ricco Wright.

Warriors of Justice is a solo exhibition of a figurative Italian artist who feels deeply attuned to what idealism and art could bring into a society. Collizzolli uses a grid method and oil on canvas to execute large scale portraits of historical figures from different walks of life to examine their legacy in light of the ongoing global reevaluation of the racial imbalance. Meticulously drawn faces of Nelson Mandela, Toni Morrison, John Lennon and others surround viewers and confront us with moral and social problems for which they have fought throughout their lives.

By presenting contemporary viewers with the human faces familiar to anyone, Collizzolli tackles the idea of social justice on macro and micro levels. On the macro level, we witness different historical perspectives and times playing out through different scenarios. On the micro level, we are reminded of dramatic life stories, some of which we feel especially connected to. Collizzolli herself has heavily identified herself with John Lennon during her teenage years to an extent of Lennon’s portrait even now being her self-portrait. By amplifying the voices of cultural leaders through large-scale portraits, Collizzolli revitalizes their legacy. Looking at these faces, the audience is forced to confront the initial questions asked by the warriors for social justice about the definition of fairness, freedom, and human values. Questions are rendered even more important today as we face tidal waves of conflicting authoritarian forces across the world. An Italian artist represented by Black Wall Street Gallery poses the questions to her global audience.

Chiara Collizzolli (b. 1968) is a Venice-based Italian artist specializing in large-scale portraits of historical figures. Lawyer by training, Collizzolli switched to art after a successful business career and attended various courses in drawing, Renaissance and hyperrealism oil painting techniques in Scuola Le Muse, Rome, seminars of Jose Luis Corella, Logroño, La Rioja, Spain, seminars of Paolo Tagliaferro, Lonigo Vicenza, Veneto. Collizzolli has been featured in AW Magazine, Nicola Bigliardi’s Conversazioni Spiritose, on Orler TV, Italy. In 2021 Collizzolli was selected as segnalazione critica artist for Mondadori Art Catalogue. Her work is in the permanent collection of Palazzo Arezzo di Trifiletti, UNESCO-designated world heritage site, Ragusa, Italy. Warriors of Justice is Collizzolli’s debut solo exhibition with Black Wall Street Gallery.