"Fleeing from nihilism is after all part of the unescapable protagonism of the artist. Like the rib of Adam, Sant’Ippolito (self-portrait) is a diptych, produced as a collage with acrylics, taken from a long frieze dedicated to martyrs in 2011. His flesh is about to be torn apart by the ropes, and the sense of identification is all-enveloping. A self-portrait indeed. It is no coincidence that until now this work had remained the property of the artist, not giving in to the alluring com ments of various collectors who longed to give it a home. The reason behind such affection is not however the suffering of the martyr Hippolytus, but Mastrovito’s resistance. In fact, on closer inspection, rather than being torn to pieces by these ropes, the artist seems to have the strength to attract towards himself everything that surrounds him, and certainly to pull the threads of the exhibition and of his expressive needs. At the centre there’s him: in good and evil, saving himself is not contemplated, even though this process of the comprehension and inclusion of reality is clearly bereft of consequences."
Davide dall'Ombra in "I Am Not Legend" catalogue exhibition, 2020.