Pablo Contrisciani: ‘Energy Vortex’ at M.I.F.A. 

Pablo Contrisciani, “Vortex” 76 x 58 inches. Mixed media on canvas. 2024, part of “Energy Vortex” on view at Miami International Fine Arts (Photo courtesy of the artist)

 “I am just interested in how much energy my paintings have.
Colors and shapes create a visual vibration what shows the real energy of the painting.
I want the highest vibration in the color of my paintings. Vibration is the language of the universe.” Pablo Contrisciani.

Presented via the curatorial team of Sophia Ballesteros and Ross Karlan, “Energy Vortex” is an extensive exhibition of paintings by Pablo Contrisciani throughout many rooms at Miami International Fine Arts. The organization’s focus is on education, artist residencies and community. It also holds exhibitions in their elegant yet spare gallery. Its walls are white and the floor is neutral, such as cement or the like. These spare environs allow all artwork to be fully seen, without distractions.

Contrisciani’s paintings sing loudly and sing well in this pristine space. The colors seem to jump from the paintings. He chooses saturated, intense colors—primary, secondary and tertiary. Brown and gray and earth tones have no place here.

Pablo Contrisciani, “El vientre de la madre Divina / The Divine Mother’s Belly” 55 x 80 inches. 2025 (Photo courtesy of the artist)

One can personally investigate color interaction and color theory through his use of complementary colors.

[Contrisciani will be on site to speak about his work on Wednesday, Jan. 21 through Friday, Jan. 31. On Saturday, Jan. 24, he will be on site from 2 to 3:30 p.m., and then at the same time on Monday, Jan. 26 through the last day of the exhibition on Friday, Jan. 30.]

The paintings are bold and the venue allows them to have enough space to really be seen. They are gestural, and the significance of energy within his work is present. He is not a painter of subtlety, but of action, of something made by hand, oblivious to technology.

The exhibition includes eighteen paintings of varying sizes. They are closely related in look and approach. Their consistency stands out. While some may wonder why the works do not vary more widely, many artists return to the same subject or method throughout their careers. Contrisciani remains focused on finding meaning that extends beyond individual expression and connects to something larger.

Pablo Contrisciani, Eternal Conscious Ecstasy” 70 x 60 inches. Mixed media on canvas. 2025. (Photo courtesy of the artist)

Contrisciani’s work is rooted in Abstract Expressionism, a movement that emerged in the 1940s and emphasized gesture and scale. Artists working in this style turned inward rather than depicting recognizable subjects. With photography already able to capture the visible world, painting shifted toward expressing states of mind and feeling through abstraction.

For the past decade, the artist has maintained a studio at the Laundromat Art Space, where he also teaches, sharing his approach to color and form through direct experience. Born in Argentina in 1969 to Italian immigrant parents, Contrisciani studied at the National University of La Plata in Buenos Aires, where he earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees, then moved to Miami in 1998.

For abstract painters, particularly those indebted to Abstract Expressionism, painting is a process of self-imposed problem solving. Contrisciani begins with an initial mark and then responds to what the painting demands next. The work develops through this back and forth, with the goal of reaching visual balance and clarity. The results of that dialogue are visible throughout the exhibition.

Color relationships are central to his practice. He studies how colors affect one another depending on their placement and contrast. Red behaves differently next to green than it does near purple. His shapes often suggest that they continue beyond the edges of the canvas, adding energy and movement.

Pablo Contrisciani, “El Salto al Vacío / The Leap of Faith” 70 x 60 inches. Mixed media on canvas. 2024. (Photo courtesy of the artist)

Abstract painters often talk about how color creates a sense of space. Blues tend to recede while warmer colors move forward. Lighter areas appear closer to the viewer. Contrisciani uses these effects to create tension between depth and flatness, allowing the paintings to feel active without relying on imagery.

The paintings humbly offer access to an internal process and invite viewers into it. Their consistency suggests an artist committed to sustained inquiry rather than quick results.

WHAT: Pablo Contrisciani: “Energy Vortex”

WHERE: M.I.F.A. (Miami International Fine Arts) 5900 N.W. 74^th Ave., Miami

WHEN: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, Saturdays by appointment. Through Jan. 30. 

COST: Free

INFORMATION: 305-470-0009 and miamimifa.com Also, 305-788-8265 or www.pablocontrisciani.com/