Strange and Surreal Paradoxes: Interview with Italian artist Daniele Aimasso

Ever wondered what it feels like to exist at both ends of the spectrum at once, caught between the mysteries of darkness and the tranquillity of light?

Italian visual artist Daniele Aimasso works in precisely this space. His art is defined by surreal yet compelling compositions, intricate detailing, and a dreamlike quality that balances innocence with unease.

A graduate of graphic design from the Brera Academy in Milan in 2010, Aimasso primarily works with watercolour and ink illustration. These mediums allow him to explore the boundaries between art and fiction, particularly science fiction. Over the past three years, his practice has become a deeply personal exploration of these overlapping worlds, shaped by imagination and experience.

Growing up in the quiet monotony of a small Italian town, Aimasso turned inward. What might have been boredom became fertile ground for contemplation, and drawing became a tool for exploring questions of infinity, existence, and meaning. Art became both a creative outlet and a way to communicate with the world.

His inspirations span literature and counterculture. Writers such as William S. Burroughs, along with Jack Kerouac, and multidisciplinary artist Brion Gysin, inform his approach. Their philosophical and experimental methods resonate in Aimasso’s sketchbook universe, particularly in The Weird Book of Oddities, a compendium of highly stylised yet intimate visual narratives.

Filled with ideas, the sketchbook navigates human behaviour, narrative structures, and the history of thought, drawing from classic science fiction authors such as Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick, and Clifford D. Simak. It is here that Aimasso’s fascination with paradox, especially the tension between light and dark, is most clearly expressed.

In this interview, we speak with Aimasso about the motivations behind his work, his visual language, and the delicate balance of contrasts that defines his artistic universe.

JY: What originally made you want to become an artist?

DA: I believe that every human being has his own personal language to show his soul to the world. Those who are good in talking would be giving talks, changing the world with their charisma and their well-versed knowledge on topics of the world, while those who are good in writing can write motivational books and articles to shed light on interesting dialogues. Others who love doing goodwill would be those who show their compassionate side by rendering help to those in need. When I was younger, I’ve tried many ways o find out what I’m good at, and I found out that drawing is the best medium for me to communicate with the world.

JY: How would you describe your approach?

DA: I started drawing when I was a kid and I was a bit shy at that point of time, so I used to spend a lot of time with myself by reading a lot of books. While doing so, I would often try to visualise the characters from the tales in my mind. Therefore, in order to capture these imageries, I decided to draw them in my sketchbooks, and have never stopped doing so, even until now. Of course, some of the subjects drawn have changed in recent times but the original essence of the art still remains the same.

JY: Your art has an equal balance of dark feel (skulls and bones) and the portrayal of innocence (young girls) at the same time. What are you trying to communicate with this narrative of yours?

DA: My aim is to find an equilibrium in every artwork I make – an equal balance of life and death, pain and pleasure, joy and sorrow – just like life itself. I don’t like to see a work that is completely negative or completly happy; it’s not true and it’s not realistic.

Just like humans ourselves, one day we could be sad and the day after, we could find happiness. Thus, I wanted to show the concept of light and dark in my works, as well as the beautiful and ugly, and the many possible scenarios that could happen in a human life and the different perspectives the one could have. Right now, I think that death and beauty are both wonderful contrasting subjects to draw.

JY: Has anyone or anything challenged your views on art?

DA: Of course. Being one who always like to talk about the different views, I think it’s interesting to know what people think about my works so that I can learn from experience. To me, listening to critics is always a part of the game as an artist so as to be ensure that I’m on the right track.

Naughty Girls & Swings by Daniele Aimasso

JY: As a young artist, how do you think online resources have influenced the art being produced today?

DA: I believe the internet is a great resource for inspiration. You could find everything that you need to improve your knowledge and culture. You could even have a larger number of inputs than before. I think the internet as well as social media platforms are great avenues for artists to show the world their talent, so that more people would be able to come to know the works they have produced even if they are not famous artists.

Such functionality of the internet also drives artists to create more works than ever before, so as to be always on top. This is the reason why I see the existence of the internet as a form of great motivation as it increases creativity and refines the quality of works being produced.

Fighting Insomnia by Daniele Aimasso

JY: What are you currently fascinated about and how is it feeding into your work?

DA: I’ve always been fascinated by the tales and legends from the different parts of the world such as the European fairytales, the culture from medieval Japan as well as to Greek mythology. I would try to infuse the symbology and charming stories that I’ve discovered by translating them as the emotional input of my works. I’m currently studying the philosophy of the 20th century, as well as quantum physics, the age of paradoxes and the big questions about the real meaning of life. I love to illustrate these situations in order find the meaning of my own life.

Butterflies in the Stomach, Part 1 by Daniele Aimasso

JY: People always say that an artist’s work is a reflection of his/her life. How is your work a reflection of your life?

DA: I agree that art, in every form, is the language of the soul. The most important thing is that my message is read by someone, there’s nothing sadder than a monologue that no one bothers to listen to. I like to think of my art as a documentation of everything that has happened in my life. Be it an episode that makes me sad, a person who makes me happy, a movie I like, an interesting character from a tale, all of my sketchbooks are filled with these kind of artworks. I would say that my ‘Weird Book of Oddities’ is a visual journal that communicates to viewers about my every single emotion, my loves, my disappointments, my fears, my dreams and my nightmares.