OM.2026.032, 033, 034 - Annalisa Retico - Italy

Three Asemics Writing Works

OM.2026.032 - 8 x 5.75 inches - ink on paper - Annalisa  Retico - Italy

OM.2026.033 - 6.5 x 3.75 inches - ink on paper - Annalisa  Retico - Italy

OM.2026.035 - asemic writing on paper - 12 x 9.5 inches - Annalisa  Retico - Italy

Annalisa Retico (born 1977 in Avezzano) is an Italian visual artist and contemporary literature educator renowned for her contributions to the asemic writing movement. Based in Rome, her artistic practice strips text of its conventional linguistic meaning, treating the act of writing as a purely abstract, rhythmic, and visceral human gesture. 

An overview of her background, artistic philosophy, and noted exhibition history reveals:

Dual Path in Literature and Art

• Academic Background: Retico graduated with a degree in Contemporary Art in Rome. Before fully committing to her own studio art practice, she worked extensively as a contemporary art exhibition curator. 
• The Educator's Perspective: Alongside her visual art, she teaches Literature. This deep immersion in structural language forms an intentional contrast with her art, which intentionally seeks to liberate the page from semantic constraints. 

Philosophical and Aesthetic Approach

• Expressive Urgency: Retico began heavily exploring the manual dimension of illegible scripts in 2012. Her pieces isolate the physical "oscillations of the hand," allowing raw emotional urgency to dictate the flow of ink rather than standard grammar or vocabulary. 
• The "Passaggi" Series: One of her most recognizable bodies of work, the Passaggi (Passages) series, features delicate interventions created with water-based felt-tip pens executed entirely on fine rice paper. 
• Scale and Medium: She works heavily on small-format paper, forcing the viewer into an intimate, closely focused reading of her non-linear text. She has also pushed boundaries by building physical asemic books out of industrial materials like Plexiglas, PVC, and steel. 

Journals and Gallery Exhibitions

• Asemica Magazine: Her graphics and ink layouts are featured in Asemica 4, an international avant-garde journal curated by Giuseppe Calandriello. The publication positions her work alongside global experimental icons like Derek Beaulieu and Jim Leftwich.
• Solo Exhibitions: Her solo showcase at the El Topo library gallery in Rome brought her intricate, textless scrolls to a broader sub-cultural Italian audience.