ABUJA, NIGERIA - - The exhibition by artist Luigi Ballarin,“Colors of noble cultures”, has enjoyed huge success at the Italian Embassy in Nigeria.

 The exhibition was curated by Beste Gürsu and is by the Venetian master Luigi Ballarin, as part of the initiatives to promote Rome's candidacy for EXPO 2030.

 Ballarin has tried with this new artistic project to travel a journey that starts from Northern Nigeria to land in the capital, Abuja. The result that catches the eye is the harmony of the whole, of the color scheme dedicated to Africa, of the use of colors with tones that highlight the entire artistic message.

 There were over 150 visitors to the new exhibition organized by the Italian Embassy in Abuja (Nigeria), "Colors of noble cultures", curated by Beste Gürsu, by the Venetian master Luigi Ballarin. The exhibition, which includes about 15 works including canvases with acrylic and enamel, was strongly desired by Stefano De Leo,  ambassador of Italy in Nigeria, as part of the initiatives to promote Rome's candidacy for  EXPO 2030, and was hosted at the Fraser Suites Hotel Abuja from 13 to 5 July. Also visiting the personal exhibition were the Apostolic Nuncio Antonio Guido Filipazzi, the governor of the Plateau, as well as various representatives of the diplomatic world and the Embassies of Algeria, Bangladesh, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Libya, Mexico, the Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Spain , Ukraine, Sweden, Turkey, China and Austria.

 THE WORKS ON SHOW – In the works of Luigi Ballarin, lands and cultures that are often unknown and invisible to us become absolute protagonists. The Venetian master, whose artistic production has always been a bridge between continents, cultures and countries, narrates them with great love and carefully transmits, but almost whispering them to the viewer, big and small stories. The information, experiences and doctrines that the artist has acquired over the years, mixing styles and techniques, are expertly combined with social attention and cultural dialogue.

 A BRIDGE BETWEEN CONTINENTS - Luigi Ballarin has tried with this new artistic project to travel on a journey that starts from Northern Nigeria: an ancient land, marked by a millennium of presence of Islam and by the Hausa language and culture, unifying factors that have marked the culture of the entire North, overcoming religious and ethnic boundaries and creating a common substratum of traditions, codes and ways of thinking; in the part of the country that extends from the northern border to the capital, Abuja, site of the exhibition. The result that catches the eye is the harmony of the whole, of the color scheme dedicated to Africa, of the use of colors with tones highlight each part of the artistic message. Thus appears all the beauty and strength that the coupling of a warrior who becomes one with a horse can unleash. “Each family is a state in itself”, Nigerians say: a saying that offers the perfect key to understanding a country that encompasses a universe.

 AMBASSADOR DE LEO'S GREETING - "Horses are a world symbol, timeless, iconic bridge of union between peoples - explains Stefano De Leo, Ambassador of Italy in Nigeria - Throughout history we can trace the profound impact of these creatures inspiring in our understanding of art. In Africa, and particularly in Nigeria, horses are celebrated in spectacular equestrian festivals and represent an important cultural heritage. Luigi Ballarin gives his very personal interpretation of the theme of the horse by tracing converging paths that unite different cultures, united by the values of peace and dialogue. He builds ideal bridges of color and emotion touching symbolism and spirituality.”

 BIOGRAPHY OF THE ARTIST - Luigi Ballarin began his artistic career in the 1990s in Venice; in 2000 he moved to Rome and, after an invitation for a personal exhibition, he fell in love with Istanbul. Currently he lives and works in the three cities, creating a union between different cultures with a unique and original language. His art is in fact a union between East and West and synthesizes in iconic images the suggestions of the minor arts, which traveled the paths of trade and wayfarers, and merged the different traditions: the decorations of the majolica, the enamel of the goldsmiths, the embroideries of precious fabrics.

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