in sicily, a high school courtyard becomes a strong and striking centerpiece

in the courtyard of a high school in sicily, artist alex brewer — better known as HENSE — has painted a strong and striking composition that stands out among the region’s earth-toned architecture. ‘our hope is for the work we painted in the courtyard at liceo scientifico to add an element of inspiration and curiosity for the students of the school,’ HENSE describes. ‘we used colors that contrasted starkly with the existing architecture and we were very conscious of the space and scale we worked in. the forms, lines and colors are intended to be purely compositional, but I enjoy the idea of viewers having different interpretations of the work.’

all images by piero sabatino 

titled ‘ragusa sun’ — after ragusa, the name of the historic hilltop city in which it lives — the installation by HENSE required careful planning, and considered collaboration. ‘one of the most challenging parts of making this painting was thinking ahead so we wouldn’t destroy previously painted areas by walking on it,’ HENSE continues. ‘using a rough preliminary drawing as a guide, we worked as a team from beginning to end in the creation of the artwork. I thoroughly enjoyed the collaborative process and interactive nature of the project.’

project info: 

name: ragusa sun (courtyard painting)
year: 2018
materials: acrylic paint on asphalt
dimensions: 14×45 meters (45×147 feet)
location: liceo scientifico e. fermi, ragusa, sicily
commissioned and organized by: festiwall and liceo scientifico
photography: piero sabatino