English Review

The Enameled Works of Gabriella Di Venanzio

Painted and enameled items of terracotta; small, original sculptures; tiny heads and painting. In the ceramics produced by Gabriella Di Venanzio Salvioni there is the grace and the delicate sensitivity of a woman as well as a homage to the land of Abruzzo. Pastoral scenes and seascapes painted on a wide variety of artistic objects (plates, jars, tiles, antique bricks) which the self-taught artist from San Valentino displays in one-man shows and group exhibitions mounted not only in Pescara (where she has her workshop) but also in venues outside the Region. Trained as a portrait painter, Gabriella Di Venanzio moved on to the art of ceramics after she had absorbed the artistic culture of Paris (through her university studies in French language and literature). She roamed freely with imagination and sensitivity in search of a personal style, always paying careful heed to the traditions of her land of origin. This was born her particular style of majolica, dedicated to the “travocchi” along the coast of Chieti, as were the ceramics inspired by the façades of the Gothic cathedrals of France and the Romanesque churches in Abruzzo. Critic Umberto Russo has written of her artistic creations: “Ms Di Venanzio has over time refined and enriched her techniques, veering off into new figurative territory to better express the richness of her inspiration. Her artistic creation objects deserve a much wider public.”