Terra Rossa

Acrylic, soil, collage and sand on card

The Terra Rossa series marks one of the studio’s earliest deliberate explorations of soil. The series is named after Benghazi's Terra Rossa red soil, which is typical of the Mediterranean, as well as several regions of Africa. It takes up from where Land(space)scapes left off, and incorporates a deeper and more intentional use of materiality.

The Tadrart Acacus mountains in the South of Libya contain thousands of prehistoric ochre cave paintings which are referenced in this set. In the modern era, it wasn't until the 20th century that artists like Jean Dubuffet started to mix soil into their work - often as a critique of the good taste of the time.

In this series, sand, ochre and other natural materials add texture to the surface giving the works an architectural intention. Again, like much of the work of the studio, it also highlights the specificity of Africa in both the texture and content of the works. The Italian colonial use of white is challenged in many of the works with Libyan burgundy or the volcanic black of the Sahara.