MARTA PALMIERI

Marta Palmieri (Italian, b. 1973) is an artist based in Senigallia, Italy, in the Marche region. Working primarily in ceramics, Palmieri makes sculptures that are seemingly ancient and modern in equal measure. She draws inspiration from an expansive set of sources, such as ruins from past civilizations, Italy’s conceptual Arte Povera movement of the 1960s and 70s as well as modernist Brutalist architecture of the Post War era. Often composed of multiple distinct elements, each work’s surface is carefully executed by layering glazes, and employing etching solutions and oxidation compounds. Individual objects are often placed together in lyrical arrangements of precariously stacked upon one another challenging the viewer’s perceptions of balance and gravity. In her glazes, Palmieri creates rich hues that provide a sense of timelessness, recalling the past as they exist very much in the present. 

Palmieri has an extensive background in the arts; she studied visual art and architecture before attending the Fine Art Academy of Urbino, where she focused on painting, drawing, and sculpture. She is the recipient of several awards and grants, and her work has been exhibited widely throughout Italy and internationally. Palmieri’s sculptures are also featured in many private and public collections.