Francisca Valador's Solo Exhibition at Matèria in Rome

Portuguese artist Francisca Valador (born 1993, Lisbon) presents her first solo show at Galleria Matèria in Rome, titled 'A partir daqui só há dragões' (From here on there are only dragons). The exhibition features minute, reflective paintings on stainless steel depicting isolated fruits, zoomorphic elements, and natural objects like pomegranates, lemons, quail eggs, wood, seeds, berries, acorns, dried leaves, grass stems, and snail shells. These subjects, drawn from 17th-century still lifes, are rendered with meticulous detail bordering on realism but set against flat, two-dimensional, pop, bicolor backgrounds that transform their ornamental function. The stark contrast between background and foreground prompts reflection on symbolism versus material transience. Valador's works evoke a strong illustrative quality reminiscent of fairy tale books, exemplified by a painted blackbird. The exhibition also incorporates biomorphic installations and references to Giovanni Pascoli's poem 'Il gelsomino notturno', with bees lingering on citrus and dove silhouettes trailing stars. The show's title alludes to the medieval cartographic phrase 'hic sunt dracones', marking unknown territories. The works function as windows or peepholes into a real and fantastic world, known only in appearance. The exhibition is reviewed by Francesca de Paolis.