Carnival is coming early this year: On Thursday, November 21, Eden Fine Art will host a one night pop-up, showcasing the new, Venetian masquerade-inspired paintings of Italian artist Angelo Accardi at its SoHo gallery space.

From a small town in Southern Italy, Accardi finds his influences in both Renaissance and Old Master paintings, while also imbibing the influences of both pop culture and contemporary art. His new series of paintings, “Misplaced,” brings together these varied influences in colorful surrealist tableaux.

The results, to be spotlighted in the one-night event at Eden, are largely inspired by the decadence and pageantry of Carnival, a pre-Lenten tradition dating back to 1162.

Angelo Accardi, Just Numbers (2019). Courtesy of Eden Fine Art.

In these colorful works, Acccardi incorporates well-known imagery from art history (paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks). He mashes these up with more playful elements, like ostriches (feathers from which traditionally made-up Carnival headdresses) and chandeliers (long associated with Venice)—then throws in still more disparate imagery from contemporary pop culture on top of that.

Angelo Accardi, PIT STOP (2019). Courtesy of Eden Fine Art.

Of course, in keeping with his masquerade inspiration, Accardi also references the Pulcinella and Venetian Carnival masks in these paintings as well. In fact, in celebration of the festive one-night-only affair, the artist will even be gifting several of his own hand-painted masks to a few of the night’s guests.

“Accardi himself will be at the gallery to personally dedicate purchased artworks and share his inspirations,” Naor Naftali, director of Eden Fine Art, says. “So don’t miss out on an event for the ages!” 

Angelo Accardi, Ostrich (2019). Courtesy of Eden Fine Art.

“Misplaced” by Angelo Accardi will be on view at Eden Fine Art, 470 Broome Street, on Thursday, November 21, at 7 p.m. Guests must register here.