HOMO DECENTS N.7

Acrylic and golden varnish on 408 Euro cents. cm. 54 x 41.5

Inspired by the intricate beauty of Byzantine mosaics, Antonio Natale’s HOMO DECENTS N.7 invites us to reflect deeply on who we are — and what we’ve become.

We were once Homo Sapiens — beings of wisdom, creativity, and conscience. Our ancestors were not only conquerors and visionaries, but architects of civilizations rooted in meaning, beauty, and connection. We valued authenticity, quality, and the human spirit.

But over time, something shifted. In our relentless pursuit of money, we have allowed material wealth to overshadow what makes us truly human. We no longer live to create or to connect — we live to accumulate. And in this transformation, we’ve lost ourselves.

Today, as Natale starkly declares, “We used to be Homo Sapiens. Now we are made only of cents — Homo de Cents.”
It is a searing commentary on a society that has forgotten its essence, exchanging depth for digits and soul for salary. This artwork is not merely a painting — it is a mirror. A denunciation. A wake-up call to reclaim our identity before we dissolve entirely into the currency we worship.

But HOMO DECENTS N.7 is also technically remarkable. One of its most captivating features is a subtle three-dimensional illusion: as you move from left to right, the figure’s nose appears to extend from the canvas, blurring the line between perception and reality.
Even more intriguing is the mouth — from afar, it seems open, revealing teeth. Yet up close, you see it’s actually closed. The figure appears to want to speak… but cannot. A symbolic silence, perhaps — echoing our own, in a world where we no longer speak truths, only transactions.

Antonio Natale challenges us not only to look, but to remember. HOMO DECENTS N.7 is a haunting invitation to rediscover what it means to be human.