Interview
Siro Carraro
Siro Carraro is an Italian-born, London-based painter who fuses theatrical narrative, figuration and abstraction into large-scale canvases and wood panels. With a BA First Class (Brighton) and an MA from Central Saint Martins, he applies oil, acrylic, enamel and mixed media to stage human stories full of contrasts—light and dark, hope and doubt. He has exhibited with Magma Group, shown billboards for Art Below, and created cover artwork for the LP Entropy for Beginners.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I was born in Italy and moved to the UK in the 1980s. As a young adult, I worked as an actor—experiences that deeply shaped my visual storytelling. I studied the Art Foundation Course art at City Lit in London in 2002–2004, then received a First-Class BA at Brighton (2004–2007) and an MA in Fine Art at Central Saint Martins (2007–2008). I entered the art world via figurative‑art prizes like the Boundary Gallery Prize and a commendation from Nagoya University in 2007.”
What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?
“My work is a theatre on canvas. I explore contrasts—illusion vs. reality, comfort vs. discomfort, love vs. fear. I tell stories drawn from personal experiences, others’ lives, a song or news item. While not overtly political, my scenes evoke themes like instability, loneliness, migration and human connection.”
Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?
“I see myself aligned with narrative figuration and neo-expressionism—blending figurative characters with abstract colour fields. I’m active in public-art billboard culture through Art Below’s Regent’s Park installations. I also collaborate with artist-run collectives and pop-up shows such as those organized by Magma Group and Salon Noir.”
“My work is a theatre on canvas. I explore contrasts—illusion vs. reality, comfort vs. discomfort, love vs. fear.”
Are there any art world trends you are following?
“It starts with observation—a person on a train, a phrase on the radio—and I riff from that. I may sketch or storyboard loosely, but once in the studio the canvas becomes a stage where I improvise: changing colours, layering, wiping back, rewriting the drama in paint.”
What process, materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?
“I work mostly large-scale on canvas or found wood, using oil, acrylic, enamel and occasionally metal dust. I build texture with layering, glazing, scratching, and wiping back wet paint—creating ‘lights and shadows’ and energetic ‘shapes as actors,’ while colours serve as costume-like blocks.”
What does your art mean to you?
“Painting is a journey of constant search: I believe that when we stop wondering, life becomes ‘a boring still existence.’ My studio is a stage where I work through personal hopes and fears—and invite the viewer to experience that curiosity and empathy.”
What’s your favourite artwork and why?
“One piece close to my heart is ‘Maria Dolores,’ inspired by a sorrowful stranger I saw on a bus. It showed me how empathy transforms everyday encounters into universal stories. Another is ‘Illusione,’ whose fractured forms capture the instability we all live with. These pieces best reflect my method and emotional intention.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“Highlights include the Salon Sumner Show Group exhibition at 54 The Gallery, Mayfair, in 2024; Art Below’s ‘Going Underground’ billboard project at Regent’s Park Tube with Ad Lib Gallery, in 2022; the artwork for the ‘Entropy for Beginners’ LP Cover; various group shows with The Magma Group, Salon Noir, the Tunnel Group and Candid Art Centre. These contexts—public space and artist‑run initiatives—fit my interest in storytelling for broad, diverse audiences.”
Website: sirocarraro.com
Instagram: @sirocarraro_art
