A solo exhibition by Nicoletta Gatti will open at Robertaebasta London

A solo exhibition by Italian artist Nicoletta Gatti, A Trace to Start, will open at Robertaebasta London on 5 November. The exhibition will focus on Gatti’s exploration of line, gesture and material through 15 important paintings and textile works. This will be the most extensive presentation of the artist in London to date and will run until 15 December 2026.

Artwork © Nicoletta Gatti. Courtesy of the artist and Robertaebasta London.

Gatti (b. 1959, Tortona, Italy) studied at the Academy of Applied Arts in Milan and the Ar.Vi.Ma Art School in Pavia. Early on, she was influenced by the colour theories of Johannes Itten and Marco Casentini, sparking a long-term experimentation of her own into gesture and material. A consistent thread throughout the development of her practice has been the tracing of a line. However, as curator Giorgia Zen writes, “For Gatti, the line is never merely a formal device or the outline of a predetermined image. It is the point from which the work begins, a gesture unfolding through time, recording the movement of the body while responding to the physical qualities and resistance of the material it encounters.” 

This exhibition will follow the evolution of Gatti’s work through key series: Tracce (Traces), Lavori tessili (Textile Works), Pensieri (Thoughts), Forma imperfetta (Imperfect Form), Arabesque and Morfologie di una traccia (Morphologies of a Trace). In each, we can see how the artist responds, innately and instinctively, to the conditions of the material she works in, from linen and jute to canvas and textile. There is an undeniable sense of synchronicity in her work, and her artistic interventions feel simultaneously bold and organic. This is in large part due to the sensitivity towards colour that she has established throughout her career, which has seen her work presented in many exhibitions across Italy and throughout Europe, including Germany, France and Spain. 

Morfologia di una traccia rossa, oil on canvas, 100 x 100 cm, 2024. Artwork © Nicoletta Gatti. Courtesy of the artist and Robertaebasta London.

In the artist’s more recent series, such as her Morfologie di una traccia, thick and shapely lines expand and interconnect across the surface of the canvas, at times resembling dancing human figures, at other times appearing animalesque or purely abstract. The artist creates an expansive sense of positive and negative space, cleverly delineated by the bulging lines that could represent presence or absence, depending on the viewer’s own perspective. Her colour palette in this series is simple and effective, drawing on shades of red, blue and greens set against rustic, neutral tones. 

The painting Arabesque n2 from Gatti’s recent series, Arabesque, is a particular highlight of the exhibition. Deep, oceanic blues and blacks offset a striking array of lines that have been segmented. Many associations come to mind, from aerial views of the earth, to the delicate interlocking nature of a skeleton, or perhaps paving stones. Running through each of these associations is a sense of mapping, of making sense of the world. 

Traccia nel verde. Artwork © Nicoletta Gatti. Courtesy of the artist and Robertaebasta London.

Earlier works such as Incontro (2018) focus on the material qualities of the line itself, as cotton threads are woven with care and intention across the surface of a thick, jute canvas. The irregular, frayed edges of the piece resist the traditional limitations of paintings, while the artist’s restrained yet highly effective interventions demonstrate the powerful possibilities of gesture when stripped back to its essence. 

Percorsi del silenzio. Artwork © Nicoletta Gatti. Courtesy of the artist and Robertaebasta London.

The materiality of Gatti’s works must be experienced in person for the full effect, and this landmark exhibition at Robertaebasta London will be an opportunity for new audiences to do so. 

A Trace to Start by Nicoletta Gatti is to open at Robertaebasta London, 85 Pimlico Road, London SW1W 8PH, from 5 November - 15 December 2026. Visit robertaebasta.com for more.

By Sofia Carreira Wham