BIO & ARTIST STATEMENT
V I N A U L I is the artistic name of Italian painter Marcello Vincenzo Mattioli.
After a long career in entrepreneurship, marketing, communication and professional sport, he decided to devote himself entirely to painting and visual research. His background in communication and social dynamics continues to shape his artistic practice, influencing the way he explores identity, language and the construction of the contemporary individual.
His work quickly attracted the attention of several Italian art critics. In 2026, he was among the artists specially recognised by the jury of the Combat Prize. His first monograph, Manual of Human Deformation, is scheduled for publication in 2026, while two solo exhibitions are already confirmed: the first in Modena in October 2026 and the second in Parma in March 2027.
His artistic research is gathered under the title Manual of Human Deformation, a body of work developed through three interconnected series: Almost Nothing, Emotional Skeleton and Dreaming or Awake.
The project begins with a simple question: How does a person become who they are, and to what extent are they slowly reshaped by the world around them?
In Almost Nothing, faded memories, childhood emotions and emotional traces emerge just before they disappear.
In Emotional Skeleton, the individual confronts other people, the outside world and their own inner emotions. The figures become more present, yet also more fragile, suspended between closeness, isolation and transformation.
In Dreaming or Awake, contemporary noise takes over: stereotypes, desire, sexuality, clichés and social dynamics that constantly shape the way we think and perceive ourselves. The works combine memory, emotional experience and fragments of everyday life through a direct, essential and often ambiguous visual language.
V I N A U L I is not interested in decorative or reassuring painting. He seeks images that appear simple yet remain difficult to forget—works that leave behind a feeling rather than an explanation.
He lives and works in the Reggio Emilia Apennines.
