Federico Massa, alias Cruz, is a Brooklyn based artist from Italy. Born in Milan in 1981, he graduated from the “Academy of Fine Arts of Brera”, in Milan in 2006.
In the academy he studies set and design, but at the same time discovers a big art scene, learning news techniques to correlate them whit sprays on the different surface.
During his first year at the Academy, Federico helped found The Bag Art Factory collective in Milan, of which he is still an active member. This group of artists; including painters, sculptors, and set and designer, collaborates on a variety of projects and constantly organizes exhibitions of their works.
Federico’s years at The Bag Art Factory were formative in his artistic growth. During this time, key elements of his vision were developed through the exchange of ideas, of discussion, and contamination with other artist of the collective.
Two years later, he enters in Biokip, a polyhedral group that make arts and electronic music, collaborating with installation, exhibition, and staging, mixed in musicals and artistics scenaries.
More recent, is the project of custom lamps in plexiglass, created by A3 design.
Federico’s work has been presented in numerous exhibitions all over Europe, and has been published in catalogues as well as art books. In addition, he works in collaboration with well-known fashion brands.
Federico also did different works and exhibitions for charity, the last one is for the international project call Elephant Parade, act to recover funds to protect the endangered elephant Indonesia, the works will be auctioned by the famous auction house Christie’s.
This series represent a “human” monster with open jaws, within which there is a reptilian eye, which represents the dark side that lurks within us all and observes everything around him.
These works, as all the jobs realized by Cruz and Berse together, introduce always symbolic representation in line with the thematic faced, always bright colors, and a search of synthetic lines to be more perceptible for the spectator.
This installation called “head hunter” is born from a idea of Federico Massa a.k.a. Cruz.
On purpose created for Margini’s Family Gallery, this work, tall 4 mt and wide 3,60 mt have been realized to 4 hands: composed by a pictorial part on paper and canvas from the artist Cruz, and from a bright part projected by the same artist but realized with methacrylic by Andrea Goy of A# Design.
The Heads Hunter represents a face monstrous, representative the human race, in which wide open jaws a reptile eyes is glimpse inside like an hidden anxious presence sometimes laid a trap inside every human being.
This way, just as in one of the best films of Fritz Lang” The human beast” drawn from the namesake book of Emilie Zola, the concept recalls the coexistence of the human beast in the mind of the human being, the part more instinctive and irrational than is burst out when moral teachings fall and we don’t know how to distinguish between the good and the evil anymore.
Five canvas painted in acrylic and spray, tell 30 x 30 cm, hang from the right hand of the heads hunter, while a reproduction of the same ,realized in methacrylic illuminated by the inside, it hangs from the left hand.
Also the eyes of the hunter are realized in methacrylic illuminated by the inside.
This installation realized together with the artist Berse,for Margini’s Family Gallery and is entirely painted on paper.
This idea take up the pre-existing project of the two artist, that consist in realize poster and paste it on the street.
The installation is customizing in according with the wall dimension.
Two canvas of the artists are introduces inside of that, behind of the bars of paper.
The installation, as all the jobs realized by Cruz and Berse together, introduce always symbolic representation in line with the thematic faced, always bright colors, and a search of synthetic lines to be more perceptible for the spectator.
In this personal exhibition in NYC at the Graphite Gallery, entitled “COPY THAT”, Federico presented his last series of “Homages”.
The collection consists of his personal reinterpretation of posters affixed by the city of Milan to promote exhibitions of internationally acclaimed modern and classical artists at Royal Palace of Milan.
Federico detached the posters from various locations throughout Milan, and completely reinterpreted the works, maintaining some fundamental details, paying homage to the masterpieces of the original artists.
In his last works,Federico presents his vision of his adopted city, New York, as a place of creation and inspiration. In these pieces, the artist pays homage not only to other artists but also to the city that inspires him on various levels.
Can catch Fede Cruz HERE.
