Sofia Cacciapaglia (Italy)

Ranging from miniature paintings to monumental canvas and cardboard installations, Cacciapaglia’s works are a meditation on femininity and the emotional and spiritual co-existence of women. Her iconic larger-than-life works present women who are linked with each other through the rhythm of touching hands, dancing feet, falling hair, and secret glances. Eyes are portals into inner worlds — sometimes closed or blindfolded, other times open and full of mystery. One of Cacciapaglia’s favorite materials is discarded cardboard boxes which she transforms into supports for herpaintings of women andgardens. This usage of old boxes and recycled packaging paper is tied to the artistic, historical, and social roots of Italian arte povera. In our modern age of ecological anxiety, the floral works speak directly not only to the cycles of women and seasons as ameditation on nature, but also the need for environmental renewal.