Phnom Penh: Romain Garzonio, known artistically as ROMA, is a French-Italian artist born in 1988. Raised in a modest family in the south of France, ROMA began his career in construction, working primarily with plaster.
Driven by a deep desire to explore beyond borders-both physical and emotional-he left France for Rome, where he began his journey of artistic transformation. Years later, he found a new home in Cambodia, where the culture, pace of life, and introspective atmosphere profoundly shaped his identity and creative voice.
During the global pandemic, ROMA began sculpting for the first time. Drawing on his mastery of materials from his plastering background, he quickly developed a distinctive artistic language rooted in texture, emotion, and memory. What began as a creative outlet soon evolved into a vital path of self-expression and personal healing.
For the past seven years, ROMA has lived in Phnom Penh, embracing a life of calm and creativity. In a quiet alley near the Royal Palace, he spends countless hours in his studio, intuitively creating contemporary paintings and sculptures. His practice is deeply personal, reflecting his thoughts, experiences, and subconscious imagery. Through his work, ROMA seeks to connect the invisible world of the mind with the tangible world of matter, offering viewers a mirror to their own inner landscapes.
Is art the mirror of our subconscious?
In Subconscious Square Roots, ROMA invites us into a deeply personal and emotional journey-an exploration of memory, perception, and introspection. His art becomes a bridge between lived experience and inner reflection, a visual language shaped by solitude, craftsmanship, and the passage of time.
This exhibition at Rosewood Phnom Penh marks a significant milestone: ROMA’s first-ever solo show and the debut of an international tour. It features a compelling selection of contemporary paintings and sculptures, many conceived during transformative periods, including the pandemic, that reveal the emotional layers of his subconscious mind.
“Through matter, I have extracted the essence of my thoughts in order to present the square root of my own subconscious. Solitude allows the mind to connect with actions that subsequently interpret emotions.” — ROMA
The works are instinctive, textured, and abstract-time capsules of memory that invite viewers to pause, reflect, and confront their own inner worlds. ROMA’s practice draws on his background as a plaster artisan and his journey across cultures, particularly the inspiration found during his years in Cambodia, where he discovered a space of both quietude and self-exploration.
We invite you to immerse yourself in Subconscious Square Roots-to engage with the layers of emotion, matter, and memory, and to discover your own personal resonance within the work. Through this encounter, may you begin-or continue-your own healing journey toward the self. Embrace your inner life with ROMA.
Photo by: Engly Tuy (Sakura)
