Story of a passion
Antonella Bitonte was born in Brescia in 1981 and, as soon as she could hold a pencil in her hand, she began to draw. She draws in school, during professors’ lectures. She continues to draw in university law classrooms, along the way to her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She draws during hearings. She draws, finally, in the atelier of painter Adriano Grasso Caprioli, where the study of the figure from life ignites her passion for the human body and for portraits.
An artistic journey
Her journey, always dominated by an interest in human beings, delves into portraits and self-portraits and finally lands at Giusy Lazzari's atelier. Here her love for printmaking and printmaking techniques, with their strong contrasts and absolute blacks, erupted, leading her to exhibit in several group shows. In 2014 he opened his own studio.
Two characters
At the same time, a strand emerges that moves away from the aesthetic of etching and gives voice to a more intimate emotional universe through the characters of Brigitta and The Fish Out of Water. Both come to life during the surreal period of lockdown; Brigitta in particular evolves from a sketch created to soothe her 3-year-old son. Then growing over time, these two alter egos became defined characters, capable of delineating with delicate precision the nuances of emotions that inhabit the artist's personal dimension, but in which it is inevitable to recognize oneself.
Brigitta
Capable of the mildest delicacy as well as elegant cynicism, Brigitta lends voice, body and lipstick to the artist's moods, from the most ethereal or ironic to the most disruptive and profound. All she needs is a glance, a word, a gesture to offer the observer a glimpse into an emotional universe.
The Fish Out of Water
Being a fish out of water does not mean being in the wrong place. On the contrary: it is to claim one's uniqueness, one's identity, even in the midst of a reality that does not resemble us. It is the freedom to explore and experience the world from our own perspective, with our boots on our feet and a disenchanted and cynical look in our eyes.
Author Beatrice Oldi