Next Big Thing: Jem Perucchini
The Ethiopian-born, Milan-raised painter is reimagining the canon of Western art history with a commanding artistic language of his own
Ethiopian-born, Milan-raised painter Jem Perucchini is reimagining the canon of Western art history with a commanding artistic language of his own. In a captivating cross-cultural exchange, he draws on a constellation of references—from ancient Greece to the early Renaissance—and populates his canvases with Black figures, inserting them into a visual record where they have been largely absent.
The richly colored and elaborately mottled paintings recall the patina of old church frescoes or Byzantine mosaics. “At the moment, I am delving into the theme of myth and the way in which different narratives retain an extraordinary power in conveying the many nuances of human experience,” says the artist, who will have his first show in the U.S., at David Zwirner gallery in New York, in 2026.
Unique process: “I am particularly interested in that moment of transition in which one feels the passage from one emotional state to another, when one becomes aware of no longer being what one once was.”
“Jem’s paintings weave together classical iconography and personal mythology to reveal how images migrate and transform across time and culture. His practice reopens the canon as a living continuum,” says Vincenzo de Bellis, Chief Artistic Officer and Global Director of Art Basel Fairs.
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2025 Winter issue under the headline “Next Big Things.” Subscribe to the magazine.