La famiglia è tutto

“Family is everything”

In this work, the artist creates a composition that is as minimalist as it is unsettling: animal skulls, stacked in a precarious balance, become a visual metaphor for the family. There is no flesh, no apparent life—only bones, hollows and surfaces smoothed by time. Yet it is precisely in this stark simplicity that a profound truth emerges: what remains, when all else disappears, is the bond.

The vertical structure suggests a hierarchy or perhaps a generational continuity. The skull at the base supports the others, like invisible roots holding up what grows above. It is the past, the foundation, the silent sacrifice. Above, the other elements rest upon one another, intertwining, as if seeking stability in each other. It is not a perfect construction: it is precarious, like any human relationship, but precisely for this reason, it is authentic.

The intense red of the background breaks the neutrality of the bones and introduces an emotional tension: it may evoke love, but also conflict, passion and blood. The family, in fact, is not just protection; it is also friction, complexity and a legacy that is difficult to bear. The hollows in the skulls, the eye sockets, seem to be looking at us: they question us about what we inherit and what we leave behind.

The title, ‘Family is Everything’, thus takes on a dual meaning. On the one hand, it affirms an absolute, almost universal value. On the other, it invites us to reflect on just how much this ‘everything’ can be laden with weight, memory and responsibility. There is no idealisation: there is truth.

The work forces us to confront the essence of family ties, stripped of all illusion. One question remains unanswered: if family really is everything, what are we without it?