Thomas Brambilla Gallery is pleased to present its first solo exhibition of American artist Sam Samore (b. 1953), Schizophrenic Beauty (Continued), opening October 4, 2025.
Sam Samore is an eclectic artist, storyteller, filmmaker, and poet whose work explores profound themes such as beauty, myth, and existential drama. Active since the mid-1970s, Samore is considered one of the pioneers of large-scale conceptual photography.
For the first time other than in New York, this exhibition concentrates around twenty photographic works depicting eyes and lips. A fundamental aspect of his visual language, these black and white as well as color close-ups evoke an aura of mystery and almost otherworldly spirituality. The color pictures reflect a Fauvist palette, eschewing realist description. The coarse grain of photographic film, deliberately used by the artist, distorts the image when viewed up close, evoking a sensuality reminiscent of Expressionism, challenging the viewer’s perception of reality and beauty. The blurred images function like slow-motion effects, giving them a dreamlike atmosphere rich in emotion. It is up to the viewer to look, listen, and construct the image of the person. This strategy forces the observing subject to temporarily identify with the Other in their gaze.
Besides being a follower of Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Manet, and Matisse, Samore has been strongly influenced by experimental film culture. The theorical insights and practices of André Bazin, Alfred Hitchcock, Andy Warhol, and Chris Marker, among others, became the starting point for his exploration of narrative deconstruction. At the same time, classical mythology, fairy tales and modern experimental novels, from Homer to Shakespeare to James Joyce, to Alain Robbe-Grillet, also represent crucial references for his invention of a non-linear narrative language.

Since the 1990s, Samore has exhibited internationally at institutions such as Kunsthalle Zürich, Fondation Cartier in Paris, MoMA PS1 in New York, Casino Luxembourg, and De Appel in Amsterdam. Recent solo exhibitions include Galerie Gisela Capitain, Cologne (2015), Team Gallery, New York (2014), Capitain-Petzel, Berlin (2012), and D’Amelio Terras, New York (2011). His films have been screened at the Rockbund Art Museum in Shanghai, Anthology Film Archives in New York, Art Basel (2011), and the Locarno Film Festival. Among his most notable works are The Suicidist (1973), Situations (1980s), Allegories of Beauty (Incomplete) (1990s), Scenarios (2007), and Dissolves (2021). Samore has also published four books of short stories, further reflecting his enduring fascination with narrative, myth, and the human psyche.