Michela Martello's 'Of the Earth' Debuts at Milan's Galleria Giovanni Bonelli

Michela Martello, born in Grosseto and based in New York, presents her first solo exhibition 'Of the Earth – Sulla Terra' at Galleria Giovanni Bonelli in Milan. The show features around fifteen recent works that blend painting, drawing, sculpture, and mural techniques using unconventional materials such as repurposed military gaiters, Japanese silks, and food sacks. Key pieces include 'Giotto’s Battlefield' (2020), a painted corset made from military gaiters; 'The Absolute Body' and 'Lovely Nerves' (2020), created on food sack canvases; and 'Lion’s Gate' (2020), which incorporates the artist’s mother’s dress with a Leo zodiac sign referencing the gift of life. Central to the exhibition is 'Of the Earth' (2020), a ceramic and glossy enamel severed foot in motion on the ground. Martello’s practice weaves personal experience with cultural traditions, artistic influences, and collective memory, exploring connections between seemingly disparate elements across time, cultural boundaries, and conventions. The exhibition runs at Galleria Giovanni Bonelli in Milan.