A Solo Exhibition by Giovanni Leonardo Bassan
Non c'è Rosa Senza Spine
10 April 2025 – 30 May 2025
LOY Contemporary Art Gallery to Showcase Giovanni Leonardo Bassan’s First Solo Exhibition in Singapore
LOY Gallery Singapore is pleased to present the first Singapore solo exhibition by Paris-based Italian artist Giovanni Leonardo Bassan: Non c'è Rosa Senza Spine ("Ain't No Roses Without Thorns"). Running from April 10th to May 30th, 2025, the exhibition explores themes of duality, tension and perception, bridging classical European painting with the raw energy of contemporary figurative art.
At a time of heightened global divisions, Bassan’s work serves as a visual dialogue between contrasts, reflecting Carl Jung’s idea that true self-awareness emerges from integrating both light and shadow within the psyche. This philosophy aligns with Daoist principles, which see duality as a force of unity rather than separation. Bassan’s layered compositions intertwine fragmented images, veiled figures and recurring motifs, serving as symbolic touchpoints between past and present, reality and illusion.
The exhibition’s title, Non c’è Rosa Senza Spine, encapsulates Bassan’s embrace of paradox. “Roses are delicate and inviting, while the thorns are sharp and serve as protection. This paradox defines much of me and my work—it has been with me forever”, he explains. This interplay between beauty and pain, visibility and obscurity, is at the core of his artistic approach, rendering his canvases both enigmatic and deeply personal.
TOMAS (2025): Marked by bold brushstrokes and an unfinished aesthetic, an unknown figure emerges from layered pigment. Echoing Rita Ackermann's abstract-figurative dissolutions, TOMAS challenges the boundaries of presence and absence. The use of layered colors and blurred forms evokes a sense of transition, where figures emerge and dissolve. The presence of fragmented hands (a key motif for Bassan) further suggests the tension between connection and detachment, reinforcing the theme of existential duality.
BENJAMIN (2025): Luminous hues of magenta, lime green and electric yellow give this piece an otherworldly glow. The contrast between vibrant color and translucent, ethereal layers creates a striking interplay between presence and absence, reality and illusion. The painting’s composition captures a dreamlike state, where figures remain suspended between expression and erasure, underscoring the fragility of perception.
Through these works, Bassan crafts powerful visual fictions, blending high and low culture, historical references and contemporary expressionism. His recurring motifs—ghostly veils, fragmented figures, and expressive hands—speak to the tension between visibility and erasure, order and chaos.
A Singaporean Perspective
Bassan’s exploration of paradox resonates with Singapore’s own balancing act between modernity and tradition, efficiency and creativity. The exhibition parallels Singapore’s vision of a disciplined yet culturally rich society, one that thrives by embracing its complexities rather than suppressing them. In a city that has transformed from a colonial outpost into a global metropolis, Non c’è Rosa Senza Spine offers a timely meditation on resilience, beauty and the unseen forces shaping our world. As Singapore continues to evolve, the exhibition invites timely reflection on the interplay between control and spontaneity, structure and freedom.
“One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious. The latter procedure, however, is disagreeable and therefore not popular.” – Carl Jung
Non c’è Rosa Senza Spine is more than an exhibition—it’s an invitation to embrace the paradoxes defining our world. Bassan’s work embodies Jung’s idea that transformation comes through confronting both light and shadow, and Daoism’s notion that opposing forces are interdependent rather than contradictory. His paintings visualize the way existence is shaped by both struggle and beauty, fragmentation and unity. In a city like Singapore, where historical legacy meets rapid modernization, these themes hold particular significance. The exhibition challenges viewers to see duality not as conflict, but as an essential creative force.