About Joaquim Buttigli Swiss Contemporary Artist
Zurich, Switzerland:
Mail: joakim.buttigli@gmail.com
Web: www.joaquimbuttigli.com
Phone: +41 79 729 29 25
Instagram: @joaquim_buttigli
BIOGRAPHY
Joaquim Buttigli (b. 1972, Zurich) is a Swiss-born artist of Italian-Danish heritage whose work serves as a bridge between the subconscious and the canvas. Drawing from a deep academic background in clinical psychology and professional coaching, Buttigli approaches the act of painting as a "psychological instrument"—a mirror intended to facilitate introspection and emotional resonance for the viewer. His practice is rooted in a state of intuitive emergence; nothing is planned in advance. Instead, his motifs arise from inner visions and the unconscious, resulting in unique, unrepeatable works that shift fluidly between portraiture, abstraction, and dream-like spiritual symbolism. Following a workshop in classical portraiture and still-life painting, Buttigli transitioned into a more expressive, oil-based style where psychological depth meets raw, creative truth. He currently lives and works in Zurich.
CRITICAL REVIEW
As part of Top Selection Barcelona 2026, my artistic practice was selected for exhibition and accompanied by an official critical evaluation. The following text is the original review issued in conjunction with the exhibition.
Joakim Buttigli develops an intense and gestural artistic practice through oil on paper, exploring the expressive potential of contemporary abstraction. His works are distinguished by a powerful emotional charge, capable of transforming color into pure visual energy. The compositions evoke organic forms, luminous bursts, and pulsating centers that seem to expand beyond the boundaries of the surface, suggesting inner states and processes of transformation. His brushwork, swift and layered, generates vibrant surfaces in which gesture assumes a central role. Warm tones, pink nuances, earthy browns, and golden highlights interact in a dynamic balance between tension and harmony, creating images suspended between compositional control and expressive spontaneity. The artist invites the viewer into a contemplative and sensory experience, where meaning emerges through perception rather than representation. His work stands out for its chromatic sensitivity, gestural vitality, and ability to evoke profound and universal emotions.
Official Critical Evaluation issued for Top Selection Barcelona 2026.
EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
Artistic Training
Master Class in Portrait Painting | London
Still Life Program | Zurich
Course in Abstract Painting | Seattle
Sculpture Workshop | Florence
Academic Background
Masterstudent of Psychology | Clinical Psychology & Counseling
Certified Life Coach
AWARDS & HONORS
2026 | International Prize "The Universal Genius" – Tribute to Leonardo da Vinci
2020 | Nominee, Luxembourg Art Prize
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2027
XVI Florence Biennale | Florence (October 23-31)
2026
Top Selection Barcelona | Port Gallery, Barcelona (July 10–17)
Curated Selection: Direct selection by Manuel Giménez Alvarez
Special Event: Presentation at the Picasso Museum, Barcelona (July 10)International Contemporary Art Fair | Art3f - Gallery Helligkeit, Monaco
Group Show | Gallery La Pigna, Palazzo Maffei Marescotti, Rome
International Prize: The Universal Genius | Effetto Arte
National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci, MilanArt Expo New York (Digital/Video Exhibition)
Divulgarti | Palazzo Bellini, Florence
Museum Exhibition Gouangzhou | Pashmin Art Hamburg
Artio - The Art & Culture Magazine | 13th Issue
https://issuu.com/artiogallery/docs/artio_magazine_-may_2026?fr=xKAE9_zMzMw
Art3f International Art Fair | Gallery Espacio Triple A, Paris
Barcelona Contemporary Art Fair | ITSLIQUID, Barcelona
Venice International Art Fair | ITSLIQUID, Venice
2018–2020
2020 | Luxembourg Art Prize, Luxembourg
2019 | Kunstschimmer Art Fair, Ulm
2018 | Art Talents, Zurich
