Plan X is pleased to present Gyangu, Leonardo Guglielmi’s first Italian solo show.

Gyangu is a powerful and stimulating exhibition that challenges our preconceptions about gender in society. 

Starting from the macho environment of criminal organizations, Guglielmi invites us through his beautiful work to explore the complexities and contradictions of the world and its many layers. Our preconceptions about what it means to be involved in criminal activities and to be tough are overturned by the work's elegant, romantic, and fashionable protagonists. Gyangu, which literally means Gangster in Japanese, has a dense storyline also suggested by the titles of the works, all of which were created between 2022 and 2023, and portrays a wide range of characters presented through stills of their everyday life. These are not the typical tough and threatening Mafiosi. Instead, they are portrayed in a unique and unconventional way that challenges traditional representations of the Yakuza. Guglielmi's gangsters are edgy and gritty, but also stylish and fashionable. They are not afraid to mix and match different styles and often incorporate modern and contemporary elements into their look, as in the case of A samurai never misses on a lil’ razzle-dazzle, ain’t nothing sweet about this one, besides his sweet sweet Levi jeans. (( Most belligerent in the Yakuza )), where the main character is showing their tattoo and y2k fashion statements.

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Despite their criminal nature, Guglielmi’s gangsters also have a sense of vulnerability and humanity to them, as portrayed in This bad boy committed crimes against art, yet why does he look so cool? (( coolest in the Yakuza )) where the subject is in a moment of self-reflection pictured through a yoga pose. Furthermore, the characters are not just one-dimensional, but rather complex individuals with their own stories and struggles: of course pieces such as A friendship turned to indifference turned to hate turned to fight turned to a bit of sexual tension (?) (( most romantic in the Yakuza )), Not even a trip to the barber is safe in Shinjuku, didn't plan to use my blade on someone with such a cute top. ((Most sensible in the Yakuza )) and They are here to ruff you up for what you did last weekend at the club down in Roppongi, and they will do it in designer suits. (( Hunkiest in the Yakuza )) come to mind, where more characters are included and relate to one another in many ways, but always with an underlying erotic tension. Through his artwork, Leonardo Guglielmi invites the viewer to look beyond the surface of these gangsters and to see them as real people with their own hopes, fears, and dreams, especially in the pieces This bad boy committed crimes against art, yet his style is impeccable, turn to page 12 to steal his look! (( Foxiest in the Yakuza )), I would kill for these limited edition Valentino vegan snake royal blue #002366 boots. Should I? (( Naughtiest in the Yakuza )) and Life imitates art, or art imitates life, anyways, Here's Wonderwall (Oasis, 1995) (( Most insolent in the Yakuza )).

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Leonardo Guglielmi (b.1996, Italy) was born and raised in the outskirts of Venice, Italy, where he underwent classical art education. Based now in Guangzhou, China, Leonardo’s work focuses primarily on the refusal of academic art rules. He expresses this by overly simplifying proportion, using less than canonical subjects, and exploring subcultures. Leonardo also brings modern and contemporary aspects of life into his work such as the contemporary depiction of humanities, fashion Items, and tattoos in an attempt to create a conversation between tradition and present realities that continue to evolve within society. His latest shows were: Hometown session / Paris, group show, EDJI gallery, 2022 

THE NEW ARTIST, group show, Boomer gallery, 2022