Six Etchings, 1982

Mimmo Paladino’s Six Etchings form a powerful suite of symbolic, narrative-rich images that exemplify his contribution to the Transavanguardia movement. Each etching presents a surreal, dreamlike scene inhabited by spectral figures, fragmented bodies, and enigmatic gestures. The compositions are charged with psychological tension and spiritual overtones, evoking themes of transformation, ritual, and myth. Paladino’s expressive line work and muted yet varied color palette intensify the emotional resonance of the series, drawing viewers into a space that feels both ancient and immediate. The figures appear to emerge from or dissolve into their surroundings, reinforcing a sense of ambiguity between presence and absence, material and metaphysical. Together, the six prints create a poetic cycle of visual storytelling – open-ended, introspective, and steeped in a timeless, symbolic language.