Valentina D’Amaro: Painting as Metaphor and the Sublime

Valentina D’Amaro, born in Massa in 1966 and based in Milan, is a painter whose work has evolved from early reflections on media-altered perception to a focus on the essence of landscape. After studying painting at Brera Academy, she participated in numerous exhibitions including the 54th Venice Biennale's Italian Pavilion, the Barbican Centre in London, and the Guang Dong Museum of Art in China. In 2005 she won the sixth edition of the Premio Cairo, and in 2016 her work was featured in Phaidon's Vitamin P3: New Perspectives in Painting. D’Amaro describes her practice as a long studio process starting from her own photographs, building up layers of glazes to create a meditative, resonant effect. Her series include 'Switzerland', 'Vespro' (inspired by the romantic sublime), and 'Viridis' (exploring the marvelous). She also produces photographic series, sometimes adding glitter to prints. D’Amaro cites Hopper and Rothko as key influences, and earlier looked to Richter. She notes that Italian painting is largely unknown abroad and calls for curators to engage directly with Italian painters to foster international visibility. A solo show at MAAB Gallery in Milan was planned for 2019.