Pesce Khete was born in Rome in 1980 and currently lives and works in Rome. He graduated in "Multimedia Animation" from the IED European Design Institute in Rome. Since 2020, he has been teaching Drawing and Illustration courses at NABA, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, Rome.
His work, which has focused on painting, drawing, and photography for years, has been exhibited in Italy and abroad at various spaces and institutions, including the MART Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Trento and Rovereto, the Prague Biennial, the Thessaloniki Biennial, American Academy (Rome), Barriera (Turin), Fondazione per L'arte (Rome), Volta Ny (New York, USA), Drawing Now! (Paris, France), Museo Ciac (Genazzano, Rome), Museo Gamud (Udine), Museo Marca (Catanzaro), Ex Monastero Dei Benedettini (Catania), Centro Cultural Ramón Alonso Luzzy (Cartagena, Spain), Greenhouse (Berlin, Germany), Ex Fabbrica Orobia (Milan), Mars (Milan). Other gallery exhibitions include Colli Independent Art Gallery (Rome), Ex-Elettrofonica (Rome), Monitor (Rome), The Flat-massimo Carasi (Milan), Ceri Hand (Liverpool, UK), Van Der Stegen (Paris, France), Localedue and Gaff Di Fabio Farnè (Bologna, Milan), Z2o Sara Zanin Gallery (Rome), Car Projects/Car Drde (Bologna), Isabel Hurley (Malaga, Spain), Magda Bellotti Gallery (Madrid, Spain). In 2017, he was selected for the "Deposito d'Arte Italiana Presente" at Artissima (Turin). In 2021, three of his works were acquired by the Museo GAM, Galleria d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Turin. Over the years, he has been in residence at "Diogene Bivaccourbano (Turin), "Cars" (Omegna, Vb), "Painting Detours" (Nogaredo Al Torre, Udine), "studio36" at Spike Island (Bristol, UK), Fondazione Lac O Le Mon (San Cesario, Lecce).
Pesce Khete's work starts from the undeniable premise that painting is the place for necessary answers, not possible questions. It is the space of conflict between infinite possibilities and its own fruitful limitations. Each work is seen as the result of a leap into a void full of rules, the pattern of an event, a gamble. Order/chaos, composition/casuality are some of the polarities used to shift the focus to the qualities of painting, the semantic and metaphorical shifts that, each time, disrupt general ideas such as figuration and abstraction, conception and spontaneity. His results are indecipherable visions, in which, when looking at them, the feeling of being irreversibly mired in a chaotic and vernacular external world prevails, simply because its indomitable and unexpected flow identifies with the elusiveness of painting.
EDUCATION
1999
Classical Studies, Torquato Tasso Classical Lyceum, Rome
2004
Illustration and Multimedia Animation, IED, European Institute of Design, Rome
2005
Life Drawing, Academy of Fine Arts, Rome
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2020 - PRESENT
Professor of Drawing and Illustration at NABA, New Academy of Fine Arts, Rome
2021 Coordination on behalf of NABA for the creation of the artwork "I won't let you down So please don’t give up on me" by artist Darinka Pop-Mitić at MAXXI National Museum of 21st Century Arts in Rome.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
1999
Pesce Khete, curated by Denis Isaia, MART Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto
2020
Pittura XXI, curated by Davide Ferri, joint presentation at the Ex-Elettrofonica booth, Bologna Art Fair
2019
Synopsis (bon voyage), Colli Independent Art Gallery, Rome
2014
Fast dunkel, she says, Barriera, Turin
There should be a list somewhere, Ex-Elettrofonica, Rome
2013
"Ludwig aus der Zeit," Ex-Monastery of the Benedictines, Catania
"Horst der Künstler," Farnespazio, Localedue, Bologna
"Horst der Künstler," Farnespazio, GAFF, Milan
2011
"Sulle river," The Flat-Massimo Carasi, Milan
"Tennis," with Michele Bazzana, CARS Omegna (VB)
"Pinturas y papel (De Alpibus ad Carthaginem Novam)," Cultural Center Ramón Alonso Luzzy (La Mar de Musi cas), Cartagena, Spain
"Pesce Khete," Drawing Now! Le Salon du Dessin Contemporain at the Van der Stegen booth, Paris, France
"Pesce Khete," MARS Milan Artist Run Space, Milan
2009
"Pesce Khete," Magda Bellotti Gallery, Madrid, Spain
"In quality like he once," The Flat-Massimo Carasi, Milan
VOLTA NY, at The Flat-Massimo Carasi booth, New York, USA
2008
"You've caught me in a bad mood," The Flat-Massimo Carasi, Milan
GROUP EXHIBITIONS (selection)
2021
"HIC," curated by Saverio Verini and Michele Tocca, Z2o Sara Zanin Gallery, Rome
"Donuts," curated by Giovanni Copelli, Donuts Temporary Space, Reggio Emilia
2020
"FLASH," conceived by Beatrice Meoni, Metodo Artist Run Space, Milan
2019
"OPEN WORK, a focus on painting," curated by Simone Camerlengo, Monitor Gallery, Rome
"Unique Forms in Continuity of Space," from an idea by Luigi Presicce, Rizzuto Gallery, Palermo
"Stupid as a Painter," curated by Simona Squadrito and Rossella Farinotti, Villa Vertua Masolo
2013
"Landina," Palazzotto d'Orta, Orta San Giulio / CARS Omegna (VB)
"Fuori! Artists," curated by Maurizio Bongiovanni, Sandro Penna Foundation, Turin
"Works from the FARO Collection," CARS Omegna (VB)
"The Idea of Realism," curated by Christian Caliandro and Carl D'Alvia, American Academy in Rome
2012
"Per te solo il cuore dimentica ogni suo affanno," curated by Andrea Bruciati and Eva Comuzzi, GAMUD, Udine
"Sweet Sheets IV," curated by Federico Lupo, Zelle Arte Contemporanea, Palermo
2011
"Altered Translation," curated by Antonio Grulli and Luca Bertolo, CAR Projects (Car Drde), Bologna
"Appunti di Pittura," curated by Arianna Rosica and Enzo Cucchi, MARCA Museum, Catanzaro
"D/Raft - Action Kodra 11," curated by Georgia Kotretsos, Thessaloniki, Greece
"Inside the Artist’s Studio," curated by Georgia Kotretsos, TinT Gallery, Thessaloniki, Greece
"El Ojo del Mirlo," Isabel Hurley Gallery, Malaga, Spain
2010
"Hidden," Van der Stegen Gallery, Paris, France
"The limbo collection," The Flat-Massimo Carasi, Milan
"En plein air," curated by Angelo Mosca, Ortona a Mare, Chieti
"If you can hold your breath," curated by Lucy Johnston, Ceri Hand Gallery, Liverpool, UK
"Impresa Pittura," curated by Raffaele Gavarro, Ciac Museum, Colonna Castle of Genazzano, Rome
2009
"Je t’aime Skye Boutin - John Phillip Abbott & Pesce Khete," Galerie Van der Stegen, Paris, France
"The Speakeasy show," The Flat-Massimo Carasi, Milan
"Prague Biennale 4, “No more than a point of view” curated by Angelo Mosca, Prague, Czech Republic
"I Mostri," Galerie Van der Stegen, Paris, France
2008
"Group Show," Start Milano, The Flat-Massimo Carasi, Milan
2007
"Disarticulated Speech," The Flat-Massimo Carasi, Milan
2006
"Abo . 47th Floor Gallery, Rome
SPECIAL PROJECTS
2021
"Dialoghi alla trementina" online talk with Luca Bertolo, Michele Tocca, and Denis Isaia at MART, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto
"Tableau Vivant" performer for "Le Storie della Vera Croce" by Luigi Presicce, Mattatoio, Rome
2019
"Diogene_Incanto," an auction in support of the Diogene Project, Merz Foundation, Turin
"Senza Bagno," curated by Simone Camerlengo, Pescara
2016
Presentation of the artist book "Drawings for Lightning," Fonderie Battaglia, Milan
2015
Exhibition project and meeting with the ENSBA Lyon group at the Foundation for Art, Rome
2014
Personal presentation at the Associazione Barriera booth, Artissima, Turin
2011
"CARS," Cusio Artist Residency, Omegna (VB)
PAINTING PERFORMANCES
2007
"Art and Science," Golinelli Foundation, Bologna
ART FAIRS
2021
Artissima, Turin
Art Verona
Art Verona Digital
2020
Arte Fiera, Bologna
2017
Artissima, Turin
2014
Artissima, Turin
ArtInternational, Istanbul
2013
Slick Art Fair, Brussels
2012
Scope Miami, Miami
Scope Basel, Basel
Slick, Paris
MiArt, Milan
Scope New York, New York
2011
Art Athina, Athens
Drawing Now! Le Salon du Dessin Contemporain, Paris
Arte Fiera, Bologna
2010
Slick, Paris
Access & Paradox, Paris
Art Athina, Athens
Arte Fiera, Bologna
2009
Slick, Paris
Show Off, Paris
Volta Basel, Basel
Next, Chicago
Volta NY, New York
Arte Fiera, Bologna
2008
Scope Miami, Miami
Show Off, Paris
Scope Basel, Basel
Art Paris, Paris
Scope New York, New York
Arte Fiera, Bologna
2007
Scope Miami, Miami
Show Off, Paris
Scope Hamptons, Hamptons NY
COLLECTIONS
GAM, Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, Turin
Antonio Coppola Foundation, Vicenza
Golinelli Foundation, Bologna
Claudia Gian Ferrari Collection, Milan
Museum of the 20th Century, Milan
