Line #7 by Tom Porta
With Line #7, Tom Porta constructs a suspended and fragmented image. Two female figures, shown from behind and inspired by the imagery of geishas, emerge from a composition divided between painting and drawing. The upper part is more defined and chromatically rich, while the lower part dissolves into light, unfinished lines. The work plays on the contrast between presence and absence, between what is fully constructed and what remains only suggested.
The artist: Tom Porta
Tom Porta, born in Milan in 1970, develops a practice centered on memory and the history of the twentieth century. After a career in illustration and photography, he has devoted himself exclusively to painting since 2003. His language combines formal precision with a quick, expressive gesture. His international experiences, especially his connection with Japan, strongly influence his vision. His painting becomes a space where different cultures and times meet.
Description “Line #7”
The work is built through layers. The figures, seen from behind, convey elegance and distance. The details in the upper section—such as the tied-up hair and the first elements of the garments—are rendered with greater chromatic intensity. Moving downward, the painting becomes more rarefied. The forms transform into pencil-like traces, deliberately left incomplete. This transition creates a balance between definition and dissolution. The background and surfaces show free interventions, with glazes and light drips.
Conclusion
Line #7 reflects on the theme of memory and identity. The figures do not present themselves frontally, but withdraw from the viewer’s gaze. The work suggests rather than describes. Porta thus builds an intimate and silent space in which the visible coexists with what remains undefined.