A Return to Italy with a New Exhibition

Some influences arrive quietly, built up over a lifetime rather than discovered on a single trip. For Kristan, Italy has always been one of them.

Raised around Italian culture – educated alongside Italian classmates, surrounded by stories of the country's cities, its cuisine, and its extraordinary influence on art and the Catholic Church – Italy was never a foreign concept. So when an exhibition in Paris first brought him to Europe, it was only a matter of time before Italy followed.

What began as a short visit to Rome turned into a grander adventure throughout some of the country’s most iconic cities. A two-day detour to Florence offered the Uffizi Gallery, the Ponte Vecchio, the Medici Castle, Michelangelo's David, and – by Kristan's account – some of the best panini he's ever eaten, at All'Antico Vinaio.

A continued push north to Venice lead to Kristan arriving, entirely by chance, in the middle of Carnival. Where Rome's pull was historical, Venice's was architectural – a city where nearly every angle felt worth capturing, romantic and beautiful in a way that made sketching almost effortless.

This year brought a fourth Italian city into the fold: Milan, initially planned around Fashion Week, though Kristan's stay extended once he realised the Winter Olympics were unfolding at the same time. A chance to combine both Kristan's prowess for sketching cities and his ability to seamlessly capture events, Milan proved to be the perfect place to create stunning art.

It feels fitting, then, that our upcoming exhibition brings this love for Italy full circle. An evening in collaboration with Mount Towrong Winery, this event will celebrate Italian art and culture in a building named after an Italian bridge, and bringing a touch of the Renaissance to Collins Street.

Interested in attending an upcoming exhibition? Please email us at contact@oud.art to find out more.