HeI am all of the women I paint. I am the young girl who questions the future, and the one who bricks hers in daydreams.
I’m the woman who looks vulnerable, and the one that feels invincible. I’m that kid who is tender, and the lady who is slender.
I’m the mother who gives birth, and the one who pleases men. I’m the beauty Queen, I’m the woman who broke free.
I’m the woman who spreads her wings wide, and the ones who shelter by her side.
I’m the fighter, I’m the lover, I’m the loser, I’m the scorer.
I am all of the women I painted, and if one day I paint men, I will also be them.
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Rosso's portraiture vividly brings to life women whose life stories and societal viewpoints mirror her own, encapsulating a deep personal connection. These portraits feature women with intent gazes and somber expressions, positioned in the limelight, thereby igniting the viewer's imagination and eliciting profound, personal reflections.
By weaving together traditional and contemporary painting techniques, Rosso achieves a unique blend that harmonizes the abstract with the figurative, creating a striking visual balance. Her artwork, characterized by exquisitely rendered portraits and figures, seems to emerge from complex, decaying backgrounds, suggesting themes of renewal and emergence from periods of decline. Rosso's artistic process represents a relentless pursuit of understanding the intricate interplay among her depicted human figures, the abstract settings they inhabit, and her personal emotional journey. It is as though she is methodically uncovering the layers to expose the very heart of human existence.
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Italian-born artist Rosso Emerald Crimson has been based in London since the early 2000s. After earning a Master’s in Human Rights and International Relations and working in advertising, she discovered her true passion for painting in her 30s. She retrained at the London Atelier of Representational Art (LARA) and through private mentorships with artists who deeply inspired her.
Since the start of her artistic career, Rosso has received multiple accolades, including the Emerald Winter Pride Award (2016), First Prize in the Holly Bush Emerging Woman Painter Prize (now WIA Prize), and First Prize in the Jackson’s Open Painting Prize (Portrait/Figurative Category, 2019). Her first solo show was held at CASS Art’s flagship gallery in London.
She was a selected contestant on Sky Portrait Artist of the Year (2019, 2021), and a finalist in the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize (2021), which led to international representation with galleries such as Sugarlift (NYC), Principle Gallery (USA), James Baird Gallery (Canada), Romfjord Gallery (Norway).
More recently, she was selected for ModPortrait 2024, and exhibited with the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, ING Discerning Eye, and the Society of Women Artists. Her work has been shown at the MEAM Museum (Barcelona) and the Mall Galleries (London), and is part of the Soho House Art Collection.
Rosso’s paintings have graced the covers of The Artist Magazine (UK) and Arena Magazine (Australia), and featured in Portraits for NHS Heroes (2021). Her work and writing have appeared in International Artist Magazine, Colossal, Create! Magazine, Evolved Mag, My Modern Met, Artists & Illustrators, and Vogue India.
Competitions and Awards
2024 — Finalist for ModPortrait 2024
2024 — SWA (Society of Women Artist)
2023 — ROI (Royal Institute of Oil Painters) 2023
2023 — ING Discerning Eye 2023
2021 — Finalist in the “Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize” 2021 (traditional art)
2021 — Honorable mention “Blue Review Art Prize” 2021 (New York)
2021 — Shortlisted for “The Viking Cruise Art Prize 2021” (A&I magazine)
2020 — Contestant in “Sky Portrait Artist of The Year SERIES 7”, PAOTY Sky Arts
2019 — WINNER of the Portrait/Figure Prize of the “Jackson Open Painting Prize 2019” (JOPP2019)
2019 — “The Artist's Exhibition Award”, TALP OPEN 2019
2019 — “The Harbour Gallery Award”, TALP OPEN 2019
2019 — Contestant in “Sky Portrait Artist of The Year 2019”, PAOTY Sky Arts
2018 — Shortlisted for “Artist of The Year 2018”, Mall Galleries (Artists and Illustrator)
2017 — WINNER of the “Holly Bush Emerging Woman Painter Prize 2017”
2016 — WINNER of the “Emerald Winter Pride Art Awards 2016”
PRESS & publications
International Artist Magazine (issue 158 / 8-pages feature)
The Artist Magazine (UK) (cover + 4 issues)
Colossal
Vogue India
Create Magazine
Evolved mag
Colossal
John Dalton Podcast (“Rosso Emerald Crimson Uncut”, an interview with John Dalton Dec.2021)
Artsummit
Artists&Illustrator
“Arena magazine”, cover for issue 161, Aug. 2019
The Artist’s Magazine
“Portraits for NHS Heroes”, Nov. 2020
“The Artist Magazine”, October issue, 2019
Anuario "Arte y Libertad XIII", Artelibre, 2018
The Guide Artists, Interview of the month, Issue 11, Jan. 2018
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
“Around the World”, Principle Gallery , Charleston (US), June-Aug. 2024
MODPORTRAIT 2023, Meam Museum, Barcelona, May - Nov 2024
SWA (Society of Women Artist), Mall galleries, London, June 2024
ROI - Royal Society of Oil Painters, Mall galleries, London, Dec 2023
ING Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries, London, Nov 2023
Mimesis, Representanional Art 2023, MEAM Barcelona, Apr-June 2023
La Favola, Antonella Scarfone Gallery, Pisa, 2023
Artdom Project, Grand Hotel, Oslo, April 2023
”Texture” exhibition, Principle Gallery (US) - November/December 2022
WAGMI, CAP Gallery, Kuwait City (Kuwait) - November 2022
NFT London (displayed on the entry ticket)
Woman, James Baird Gallery, Canada - October 2022
Uncurated, Stoerpunkt, Munich, July/Aug 2022
NFTNYC 2022 - June 21 - 24th
Many Moons, Rober Lange Studio Gallery, US - May/June 2022
Sky Art Self-portrait Exhibition, Compton Verney Hall, UK - Feb-June 2022
The Blue Review Art Prize exhibition, Sugarlift gallery, (New York/ online on Etsy), Nov. 2021
Major Figures, Saatchiart, Oct/Dec. 2021
Summer exhibition, GALLERI RAMFJORD, Oslo (July 2021)
“The Viking Cruise Art Exhibition” (shortlist group exhibition), London
“The Artists’ Exhibition”, with “The Artists Magazine”, Patching Art Centre, Notthingam
“Women in Art”, Zebra One Gallery, London (March 2021)
“Group Show”, Zebra One Gallery, London (Feb. 2021)
2019-2020
Summer Exhibition, Green & Stone Gallery, Fulham, London (Aug. 2020)
The Artist Collection, Patchings Art Centre, Nottinghamshire, October - November 2020
THE OTHER ART FAIR, CALM art collective x Connor Brothers, London, March 2020
Elevate 02, The Shard, London, December 2019
Art Fair East, Underdog Gallery, Norwich, November 2019
Utopia, BSMT relaunch, BSMT, London, October 2019
Summer Exhibition, Underdog Gallery, London, August 2019
The Artist Open Art Competition (TALP OPEN 2019), Patching Art Centre, Notthinghamshire, 2019
AFFORDABLE ART FAIR, Jackson Painting Prize Finalists, Hampstead Heath, May 2019
The Occult and Symbolism, Underdog Gallery, London, April 2019
Selected past exhibitions
Art Fair East, Underdog Gallery, Norwich (Dec 2018)
Rosso going Solo, The Art Space, Cass Art, Islington, London, (June 2018 - part of the Holly Bush Painter Prize 2017)
Artist of The Year 2018, Mall Galleries, London (Feb 2018)
AWE, Art Women and Evolution, The Bloosmbury, London (Feb 2018)
WIA women in art, Peggy Jay Gallery, Burgh House, Hampstead, London (2017)
Summer Show, Creative Debut, London (2017)
"The Londoner Compass", The Strand Gallery, London (2017)
"WITP", The Strand Gallery, London (2016)
"Tribe16", Chrom Art, The Ugly Duck, London (2016)
"It's Art Exhibition", D-Contemporary, Mayfair, London (2016)
"Debased", Cultivate collective, BSMT space, London (2016)
"The Human Figure: Myth and Storytelling", The Gallery, Stoke Newington, London (2016)
"Summer Salon", Islington Art Factory, London (2016)
"Emerald Life Winter Pride Art Awards", Islington Art Factory, London (2016)
"Hand Maid", S'A collective, Hoxton Arches Gallery, London(2016)
"Urban Art Experience", Nude Tin Can Gallery, St Albans (2016)
"Homunculus", Asylum, London (2016)
“ICADF 2015”, Islington Contemporary Art & Design Fair, London (2015)
“Painting & Sculpture”, Candid Art Gallery, London (2015)
“Portraits”, Espacio gallery, London (2015)
“Outsider Art Exhibition”, Candid Art Gallery, London (2015)
“FLUX”, Gray’s Art Gallery, London (2015)
“Seams”, Sweat’Art Collective, Hoxton Arches Gallery, London (2015)
“Royal Art in the World – Italian and Foreign Contemporary Art”, ROA Royal Opera Arcade, London (2015)
“NOT the Royal Academy”, Llewellyn Alexander Gallery, London (2014)
“Artsdepot Open 2014”, Artsdepot, London (2014)