Tornabuoni Arte is pleased to present, the solo exhibition by Omar Galliani titled ‘Stolen Kisses’ in its Milan venue in Via Fatebenefratelli 34/36.

The exhibition will showcase a series of works capturing a moment of tenderness between two people – the simple yet symbolic act of a kiss. Painted by Galliani in 2020 during the pandemic lockdowns, the exhibition takes its title from a period when human relationships were profoundly disrupted and the most common interactions were no longer taken for granted.

Four years later, in a similarly fractured global context where physical proximity is increasingly being replaced by virtual proximity, Galliani’s works take on renewed meaning. Executed on charcoal and graphite on canvas, with the mastery of line and gesture characteristic of Galliani’s oeuvre, these ephemeral, almost suspended works are reminiscent of the romanticism of classic cinema, evoking a nostalgia for normal life while also prompting us to rediscover and reclaim a lost reality.

The exhibition will also showcase Galliani’s iconic portraits of female faces emerging from starry skies or mysterious backgrounds. Created through nuanced use of pencil, tempera and charcoal on poplar wood, these spiritual visages highlight profound emotion. Their continuous dialogue with the viewer reveals further strata of meaning upon sustained observation.