In his paintings, embroideries, and sculptures, Maurizio Vetrugno isolates and re-creates images and objects from popular culture in focused representations imbued with a subtle, wry humor. Nostalgia—and the seemingly endless cycle of references it engenders—is a central theme in his work; he is particularly interested in late modern and early contemporary culture and draws his subject matter from the decades between the 1950s and ’80s. In a series of textile works, for example, Vetrugno presents hand-embroidered vinyl album covers, through which he foregrounds the boldness of their graphic design and the power of nostalgia and legacy in shaping musical trends and popular tastes.

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