(Ravenna, Italy, 1968- )
Lives and works in Milan, Italy
Margherita Manzelli's claims that her
large scale paintings are not intended as self-portraits (though
they nevertheless bear both a physical and psychic resemblance to
her) reflect an earlier period in her work where performance was
an important element. Manzelli herself admits that "I would like them to be different to me. And yet I realize
that this very desire is symptomatic of the fact that something of
myself remains in them." In addition to Manzelli's own presence
in her work, chance encounters with young women in the street are another
source of inspiration. Regardless of the actual physical appearance
of these women, they are usually portrayed in the same emaciated, waxen
form in an empty space. Despite their vulnerable, awkward posture within
the image, they confront the viewer’s gaze directly, and exhibit a
certain, tense confidence. |
