BIO
Simone Leontini, known by the artistic name KIMBA, was born in 1994 and is a completely self-taught artist. He returned to drawing and later to painting, transitioning from brushes to spatulas, from spray cans to stencils. He doesn’t limit himself to simply observing and taking inspiration; he enjoys exploring, drawing influence from everything around him. As a young man, he developed a passion for colors, writing, and especially street art, experimenting with various styles. Later, he was inspired by a unique art form—abstractism. It is through this style that he wants to express his passion, using energetic spatula strokes full of color, movement, and energy.
After participating in his first group exhibitions in Milan in 2021, he organized two solo shows in Sesto Calende (2022–2023), receiving excellent feedback from the public.
At the same time, in 2021, he began a collaboration that marked his definitive entry into the world of street art, assisting a well-known mural artist. This experience strengthened his passion, giving him the confidence and drive to turn his dream into reality.
STATEMENT
Since he was a child, he had an intrinsic belief that he wanted to be a painter; this is the path he has always dreamed of and aspired to. For him, art represents the courage to expose oneself, the ultimate freedom of expression that one can strive for, but most of all, it’s about showing what is most beautiful in life. He wants to reveal what lies within the mind, imprinting his emotions on canvas and recreating the energy of the creative process.
Bold spatula strokes of vivid colors, in contrast with a sometimes graduated or three-dimensional background, along with the use of spray paint and other techniques, make the gestural execution of his work a liberating and intensely emotional act. His inspiration comes from colors, shapes, landscapes, and everything that surrounds him.
The goal isn’t just to create artworks, but to serve as a means of encouraging people to validate their own emotions and to always maintain a positive attitude towards the world. He believes that by exhibiting his paintings, he is also exposing the most intimate part of himself, allowing the viewer to understand the motivations and determination fueled by their own perception. He wants to transport the observer into a world of infinite colorful details and fluid movements that, when noticed carefully, can radically change the way one sees the world around them.
The artist’s intrinsic message is to encourage freedom of expression, to promote pride in oneself, to rise above judgment, to always dare, and to try to be your best version.