Federico Cantini, a Rosario-based artist born in 1991, works across drawing, carving, and modeling on leaves, wood, and clay. He travels between Rosario and Buenos Aires, collecting urban pruning materials to "carve faith" with others. Cantini runs his own space, Jamaica ATR, and is represented by Galería Pasto in Buenos Aires. His recent exhibition "Hoy" at PASTO featured bas-reliefs in cypress, ficus, and poplar wood, exploring the impossibility of the present through autobiographical yet transcendent scenes. He emphasizes the patient, meditative craft of carving, contrasting it with purely conceptual art production.
This article matters because it highlights a younger generation of Argentine artists who blend traditional craftsmanship with contemporary art discourse, operating outside major institutional frameworks. Cantini's practice reflects a broader trend of artists reclaiming manual labor and material dialogue as central to artistic meaning, while his self-managed gallery model and national salon initiative during COVID-19 demonstrate grassroots resilience in the Argentine art scene. The piece also underscores the importance of regional art hubs like Rosario and the role of smaller galleries like PASTO in fostering emerging talent.