Mixed Media, Mixed Acrylic, Posca: What They Mean

Mixed media, in painting, means using several materials or media on the same support: at Ge'eza's gallery, this most often means acrylic paint combined with Posca markers, on canvas or on kraft paper. The term "mixed acrylic," used by Tampidaro, describes a related approach, where several acrylic layers and gestures are built up on the canvas.

What Posca is

Posca is a water-based, pigment-ink marker, designed to draw crisp, opaque lines on many surfaces, including acrylic paint that has already dried. In Saadio's work, Posca is added to acrylic to draw precise outlines, repeated patterns or graphic detail layered over fields of colour laid down with a brush. That combination produces canvases where the gesture of painting and the gesture of drawing sit on the same surface, a signature found across a large part of his work, on canvas as well as on kraft paper.

One example of this approach is "Afro," mixed media, acrylic and Posca on canvas, 100 x 100 cm, made in 2025, available at the gallery, with the price given on request from its page.

Tampidaro's mixed acrylic

Tampidaro, for his part, uses the term mixed acrylic for his current body of work. This approach layers several acrylic coats and media, without necessarily using Posca, to build a dense, textured surface. "Asiko," mixed acrylic at 100 x 100 cm made in 2025, is one example of this technique, also available at the gallery.

The difference between the two approaches, then, lies less in the word "mixed" itself than in the exact materials combined: Posca and acrylic for Saadio, several acrylic layers and media for Tampidaro.

Kraft paper, a particular support

Part of Saadio's mixed-media work is made on kraft paper rather than canvas, and shown under glass to protect this more fragile support. Canvas, on the other hand, stays stretched on a frame, with no additional protection, as with a standard painting.

Caring for a mixed-media work

Care follows the same rules as a standard acrylic painting: avoid direct sunlight, which dulls colour over time, keep humidity stable, and dust with a dry, soft cloth rather than any kind of cleaning product. For a work under glass, it is also worth avoiding direct light on the frame, which can create a localised magnifying effect.

Seeing these techniques at the gallery

Nothing replaces an in-person visit to judge these differences in texture. Ge'eza's gallery shows works by Saadio and Tampidaro, during the restaurant's hours, Tuesday to Sunday, 8am to 10pm. For any question about a specific technique, the team replies on WhatsApp at +221 78 660 07 07 or by email to geezacultures@gmail.com.