Daniel Santangelo
Daniel Santangelo (b. 2004) lives and works in London, UK.
Born to Italian and Ethiopian-Eritrean parents, Daniel Santangelo’s mixed media works explore his ancestry and identity through a mythological lens. His figures explore spaceless, timeless alternative universes - interacting with delicate marks, script, and objects in spiritual and evocative ways. Santangelo looks to distill the Ethiopian-Eritrean experience into objects or behaviours which permeate the surface of his paintings, sitting somewhere between object, abstraction and figuration. In many ways these metaphysical environments are simply reflective of the black ancestral experience - referencing the cultural ties that bind continental Africans and those of the African Diaspora.
Portals transport the viewer to a world where both abstract and figurative elements appear in harmony; mankind and animal in symbiosis. Shimmering, sparkling stars are scattered across the surface, referencing humanity’s longstanding interest in the symbolism and secrets held in the night sky and the cosmos beyond. In places, Santangelo’s seemingly ambiguous shapes reference Fidel (traditional Ethiopian/Eritrean script), and his interest in cross cultural mythological representations is evident throughout. Tropes of both Western and Eastern religious painting and mythology feature, as well as a chiaroscuro- esque use of directional light which radiates into and out of both objects and people. These surreal, dramatic dreamscapes strike an interesting balance between peace and power that is somewhat reminiscent of Afrofuturist aesthetics. The sketchy feel of these works helps the surface and ground to breathe, with chaotic brushstrokes and visible pencil sketches hinting at the energy contained within the human mind and hand.
Santangelo will graduate from Central Saint Martins with their BFA in 2025. He has been featured by Tate Collective, and has upcoming solo and group shows with Chilli, London. Santangelo is represented by Chilli.
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