Silvia De Marchi (°1967, Melzo, Italy) lives and works between Milano and Como in Italy. In Silvia De Marchi practice each work is born as a result of a research that, moving away from the only vision of an image, it focuses on the painting understood as a broader sensory experience. Silvia De Marchi interested in exploring the idea of materiality, physicality and tactility in a painting, investigating the tensions between the surface and the deepest levels it can contain, the relationship between full-empty, visible-invisible and absence-presence. Fundamental values in her practice are stratification and time.

Silvia De Marchi works begin by brushing large sheets of Fabriano paper with an aqueous mixture based of ink, iron filings, sand, silver powder and dust, in order to obtain monochrome surfaces with textures and imperfections. The paper is then left to wear over time using natural agents from the sun, wind and rain. This process transforms the material and makes it worn out and ruined. This damage is fundamental for De Marchi; the wear and tear, and imperfections such as fragility, but also the resistance of the material over time.  

De Marchi then tears or cuts the paper into pieces before assembling them in a balance and harmony of shapes.The resulting multilayer paintings evoke ideas of construction-deconstruction, hiding whilst also reveal the underlying structure. For emphasize the reference to the value of time and to the concept of a cyclical practice, Silvia De Marchi select and reuse remains of previous works that form the basis of each new work. Silvia De Marchi find inspiration in the view of Buddhist philosophy that accepts the ephemeral nature of everything and that captures the beauty in imperfection and simplicity.