Isabella Nicastro

La Croce

Although the symbol of the cross predates its adoption and use by the Catholic and Christian church systems, it has since become a widely-recognizable emblem of Catholicism. The gesture of making the sign of the cross and how it provides both spiritual help and acts as a signifier of faith to onlookers, serving as a public form of virtue profession. The cross is associated with events of a miraculous nature, meant to carry the powers of the blood of Jesus, and as such quickly became adopted as a wearable amulet. By presenting the crucifix as the focal point of the composition, I draw similarities to how Catholic and Christian church institutions are centred around the presence of the cross/ crucifix, highlighting its all-encompassing presence throughout each of the many churches found in Southern Italy.

“Inspired by a trip to my grandparents’ town of origin in the south of Italy, this body of work seeks to investigate the intersection between my southern Italian ancestral heritage and my upbringing in Canada. A fragmented sense of identity commonly found in second and third generation citizens is dissected through the lens of personal experience. Close-cropped, abnormal compositions juxtapose conventional European methods of oil painting, displacing the viewer from the entire context of the world in which they are immersed, echoing the manner in which I am disconnected from the complete context of my heritage. These works present covert emblems embedded throughout, inquiring how factors such as religion, superstition, and cultural practices have dispersed through my familial lineage by inviting the viewer to observe complexities surrounding spiritual beliefs and the intangible.”