John Grasso Art. Figurative Abstract Series

John Grasso (b. 1970)

River of Fire 2026

Oil on canvas
80 × 50 cm
12 oz canvas
Signed lower left “JG”
Original artwork

River of Fire is an intensely expressive contemporary oil painting in which landscape, movement and colour dissolve into a powerful abstracted environment. Grasso builds the surface through vigorous, sweeping brushwork, allowing blues, crimson, violet, ochre, yellow and flashes of white to collide and flow across the canvas.
The central passage appears almost like a rushing cascade or immense geological formation, with broadvertical strokes pulling the eye downward before giving way tosweeping horizontal currents across the lower portion of the composition. Rather than describing a landscapeliterally, Grasso suggests one through movement, atmosphere and colour.
The painting’s strongest featureis its physicality. Thick, gestural applications of oil create a richly worked surface, with individualstrokes remaining visible and giving the work a sense of speed and energy. Deep indigo and violetpassages provide weight and depth, while brilliant yellows and reds act almost like illuminated fragmentsmoving through the darker landscape.
There is an elemental quality to the composition: water, rock, fire and vegetation seem to coexist withinthe same imagined environment. The viewer can move between recognisable landscape suggestions and purely painterly passages, making the work rewarding from both a distance and close inspection.
The lower section is particularly dynamic, with winding bands of colour creating the impression ofa river or molten current travellingacross the foreground. Above it, thelarger vertical forms create a senseof cliffs, trees or cascading naturalforces. The ambiguity is deliberate and allows the painting to remain open to individual interpretation.
With its saturated colour, energetic mark-making and heavily worked surface, River of Fire exemplifies the contemporary expressive approach associated with Grasso’s recent paintings. His current practice encompasses vibrant abstract and landscape-oriented oils, with works drawing inspiration from the natural environment  alongside broader artistic and cultural influences.

Artist

John Grasso (b. 1970, Mareeba, Queensland) is a self-taught Australian artist of Sicilian heritage, based in Cairns, Far North Queensland. His practice encompasses vibrant abstract and figurative painting, reflecting an ongoing exploration of colour, movement, culture and the expressive possibilities of oil paint.

Artist Statement

John Grasso 

My paintings are an exploration of colour, movement and the physical act of painting. I am interested in what happens when layers of paint, marks and colour interact rather than being completely controlled.

I work intuitively, allowing the painting to develop through repeated application, scraping, drawing and repainting. Colour is central to the process. Strong contrasts can create energy, while darker passages provide depth and allow brighter colours to emerge.

My surroundings in Far North Queensland, my interest in Japanese culture and my experience with martial arts have all contributed to the way I approach painting. I am interested in balance, discipline and movement, but also in the freedom that comes from allowing a painting to evolve.