Friday, October 9, 2009

Nicoletta Ceccoli's symbiotic dreams


Nicoletta Ceccoli has been one of my favorite Italian painters and illustrators since I first saw her work at the Bologna Children's Book Fair (her art has been selected seven times for the annual exhibit). Ceccoli is actually from San Marino, a small enclave on Italy's Appennini mountains which happens to be the world's tiniest republic and oldest sovereign state. Most of her mysteriously surreal images depict variations on a recurring theme of beautiful, melancholy and ethereal child-girls accompanied by or metamorphosing into various animals and fairy tale creatures.

Birdcage

Sheryl

Mermaids

Katherine

Beedream

Fisheye

Butterfly

Crows

In an interview on Arrested Motion, Nicoletta cites influences from artists like Remedios Varo, Domenico Gnoli, Paolo Uccello, Stasys Eidrigevicius, Mark Ryden, Edward Gorey, Winsor McKay and Ray Caesar among others. She also mentions being at work on a book about mythological creatures, which I imagine is going to be awesome. Especially after having seen the following works, recently shown at Roq la Rue gallery in Seattle, featuring complex and dynamic compositions and a brighter, vibrant pastel color palette...

4 comments:

  1. IM IN LOVE WITH HER MAJESTIC OUT-OF-THE-BOX ARTWORKS!!! <3<3<3

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  2. I love her uniqueness and how she creates moods and feelings in her work. Every image i have seen that she has created has been an enlightening and enthralling display of how she truly sees the world.
    Thank you for this experience i am indebted to you, Nicoletta

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  3. I did not know her work, but I can see the influence of Mark Ryden and Ray Caesar. Really love hers and will have to keep an eye out for her. Pop surrealism is just so appealing to me.

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