Adinda-Putri Palma leaves Damien Hirst studio to work in Italy's earthquake zones

Italian painter and sculptor Adinda-Putri Palma (born 1986 in Matelica, Macerata province) left her position as assistant in Damien Hirst's London studio to return to her native Marche region after the devastating 2016 Central Italy earthquake. Since 2017, she has based her practice in the Umbria-Marche Apennines, focusing on themes of building and dwelling. Palma cycled 7,000 km from London to Italy as a performative homecoming. She restored a former stable in Braccano into a studio, completed in 2024, using natural and reclaimed materials (straw bales, wood, lime, raw earth) with help from friends, family, and volunteers, supported by the A.R.I.A. Familiare association. Her project 'In Domum,' winner of the MiBACT national call 'Per chi crea,' became a book published by Quodlibet with critical texts by Paola Ballesi, Stefano Verri, and Nikla Cingolani. Palma collaborates with MastroT, a restoration and conservation firm led by Emanuele Tica, and recently traveled to Indonesia, the other part of her heritage. She defines her bicycle journey as 'thinking in motion,' citing Maxine Sheets-Johnstone's 'Philosophy of Dance.' Palma views art as a tool to sharpen critical perception, comparing her desired works to puddles that offer multiple perspectives.