Alessandro Tomassetti is a Canadian figurative painter based in Barcelona. He is known for his intimate portraits of contemporary men.
Dramatic lighting and a moody color palette compliment his naturalistic rendering technique to capture the vulnerability and sensuality of his male subjects, the likes of which is most often associated with the female form.
Intended to invert the male gaze, Tomassetti’s oil paintings seduce the viewer into appreciating the male form while confronting cultural tenets of masculinity.
He is represented by Sugarlift Gallery in New York.
“Around the time I started painting, it became clear that my favourite artists throughout history had painted males but my favourite contemporary figurative artists mostly focused on female subjects. Contemporary male portraits seemed reserved for important men, that is, conventionally powerful men.”
— Alessandro Tomassetti