Daniel Piselli

2024 Senior Exhibition Artists

Daniel Piselli

Concentration: Art + Design: Illustration

About Daniel Piselli

Daniel Piselli is a digital artist from Millbury, MA who roots his art in his Catholic faith. His main focuses are on comics and religious art. His graphic, action-based style sets his work apart from the common Catholic media while keeping the reverence for his faith. Along with obtaining a BFA in Illustration, Daniel also has obtained a Music minor with a focus in trumpet. He has an extensive love for the visual and performing arts and works to create to honor God.

Statement

“The first demand any work of art makes upon us is to surrender. Look. Listen. Receive. Get yourself out of the way.” C. S. Lewis.

For my senior project I made a comic called “East from the West” which is about a woman named Hannah who has died and entered Purgatory, the place of purification before entering the Kingdom of Heaven. There, she is greeted by St. Michael the Archangel who leads her through this process. For my secondary work, I have created a few digital paintings of various saints which illustrate their deep love for God. While my comic is more graphic, these works are done in a painterly style, showcasing my artistic flexibility.

The intention for my comic was to be an action-adventure with my main character Hannah physically fighting her inner sins with the “sword of the spirit” in the realm of Purgatory, but something about this felt wrong. In the doctrine of Purgatory, the individual is not the main actor. God is the one who acts to cleanse someone from their sin with all the Saints and those on Earth praying for them allowing the graces for the process to move along faster (God willing). In the same way, I had to surrender the fighting tone of the comic’s action to what the story is asking. Like C.S. Lewis said, the art demanded that I take a step back to look, listen, and receive. There is action and wonder to be found without the character wielding a sword and literally fighting her sins. In the final story, Hannah must confront her sin and have it pass over her while a cleansing fire, representative of the prayers for her, surrounds her and consumes her to purge those sinful attachments.

The portrait series of the saints will be showing a different internal feeling with a shared obedience to God. They are as follows:

Mary mother of God - an exalted modesty | St. Joseph - a surrender to God, seeking wisdom

St. Benedict - a deep intimacy for the cross | St. Joan - a spirit of sacrifice