The Fresco Process

Fresco is one of the oldest forms of painting and has played a key role in human artistic expression. It relies on a reaction between mineral pigments and intonaco—a lime and sand mixture. Once the intonaco is applied, the artist has only a short time to paint before it dries. Mistakes are hard to fix, and the work must be completed in one sitting. This challenges the idea of perfection, as the medium demands compromise.

Everything I know about fresco I learned from my father. In our process, the painting is made on a concrete wall, then torn off and glued to canvas. This transfer is unpredictable—some of the image is always lost, and the texture of the wall becomes part of the piece. This allows the piece to take on a life of its own in a way.