In quiet awe: Ozy Worldy

Ozy and his beautifully strange world.

I don’t remember when I first encountered Italian artist Ozy’s (b. 1998) work, but I sure remembered the name. His paintings have that rare quality of making me stop, stare and wonder what the hell I’m looking at. His paintings have something surreal and eerie about them and they’re hauntingly inviting, especially his newer work.

Two of my favourites are Blue Hours (2025) and Nemesi (2024).

Blue Hours immediately makes me imagine a man meeting his date for the first time. Flowers in hand and ready to impress her. Except… why are there two smiling cats sitting beside him? What the hell are they so excited for? The anticipation is highly unmistakable. I can sense it in the mans posture and somehow even in his masked expression. The cats seem to be waiting for something as well, but for what? And what is one of the cats counting down to?

A first date is usually an exciting and warm event to look forward to. So why bathe such a positive  moment with the colour blue? A cool colour that gives this scene an eerie stillness that makes the anticipation feel oh so ominous. And why does it feel like I, role playing as the potential date as a viewer, is being led to meet him for the first time in his bedroom in the same home he shares with his mother?

And then there’s Nemesi. A painting that frightened me before it fascinated me.

The first thing that caught me was the deep darkness, but then I noticed the tear. The white dove covering the mouth made me wonder about silence and even restraint. Or maybe it’s there to symbolize something less comforting. What is the meaning of the eye-like symbol on the palm and what are they faint rays behind his head trying to tell me?

I don’t know.
And that’s precisely why I keep looking.

Ozy doesn’t give me enough answers to settle the questions, but he gives me just enough to make me ask them. And that’s what I find to be the most alluring thing about his work.

All images are from Ozy Worldy’s website, specifically the archive section of said website.
© All rights to the images, music, clips, and other materials used belong to their respective owners. I do not claim ownership over any third-party content used. This post and website is for appreciation purposes only.

Other paintings I’ve written about:
Georges de la Tour
The Meeting on the Turret Stairs
Nick Alm
The lunatic of Étretat
Portrait of a black woman