Verdiana Patacchini
With my sculptures, I do not tell precise stories; I evoke images
“I am captivated by ancient masterpieces. The legacy of the past is essential for understanding our daily lives”
Her art delves into the past, rooting itself in the creativity of yesterday to convey timeless messages. She is Verdiana Patacchini, an ever-evolving artist who draws inspiration from ancient statues, primitive graffiti, and Pompeian frescoes to address contemporary themes such as metamorphosis, imperfection, and the connection to the earth. Originally from Orvieto and born in 1984, Verdiana loves to experiment using a variety of media: raw linen, ink, oil, graphite, Japanese raku, fire, stones, but above all, ceramics and painting. The final effect is hybrid works that intertwine figuration and abstraction.
She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, and in 2011 she exhibited at the 54th Venice Biennale within the Italian Pavilion. In 2015, after winning an artist residency, she flew to New York, where she still lives today. Her studio is almost a compendium of her poetics: it is located within Mana Contemporary, a dynamic creative community where interaction with artists of diverse sensibilities becomes an essential source of inspiration. We meet Verdiana, currently engaged until March 9 at the Room 57 Gallery in New York for the collective exhibition People, Places & Things, during her latest stay in Italy.
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Your philosophy in three words?
Verdiana Patacchini :
Lightness – Intellectual Honesty – Solution. I see them as three fundamental pillars. I always seek a balance between the honesty of the creative process, the search for visual solutions, and that lightness that makes everything accessible and spontaneous.
Where does the name Verdiana come from?
Verdiana Patacchini :
My mother told me that she read this name as a girl and was struck by it, so she chose it for me. It is said that in a person’s name lies the voice of the mother, a delicate thought that conveys security.
Bust in red (from Figure Bugiarde \ Deceitful figures series) | 2024 | pigments on Indian cotton paper and glazed ceramic parts
In your works, you use a variety of materials. Why this variety?
Verdiana Patacchini :
Variety is a natural impulse for me; I enjoy discovering and mixing different materials. I am fascinated by the certainty of surprise: I take advantage of the unpredictability after studies and experiments. I have a painterly vision, even though I have been focused on sculpture for several years. In the end, each material becomes a means or a pretext to continually find new solutions.
Do you remember your first work of art?
Verdiana Patacchini :
I started with oil on canvas at the academy. After finishing my studies, I began burning polystyrene, which I painted and reassembled in the form of totems. Then I glued them onto iron plates that I processed with acids. I liked the contrast between my physical appearance and the brutality of those works. I used the pseudonym Virdi to confuse the viewer.
Lady with cigarettes (from Figure Bugiarde \ Deceitful figures series) | 2024 | pigments on Indian cotton paper and glazed ceramic parts
Yours is a pictorial universe where you blend experiences that span centuries: do you have an obsession with the past?
Verdiana Patacchini :
I am captivated by ancient masterpieces and obsessed with recreating my personal vision of those refined and enigmatic works. The legacy of the past is essential for understanding our daily lives.
Who are the characters that populate your sculptures?
Verdiana Patacchini :
My recent works often represent female figures or anthropomorphic shapes, leaving ample room for interpretation. I do not tell precise stories; I prefer to evoke images. In the past, I avoided addressing the female universe, fearing that I would seem trivial. But I was mistaken: I realized how rich a theme it is for inspiration and introspection. Currently, I am working on a series dedicated to women: it is a tribute to the challenges of contemporary life.
The themes addressed in your works range from metamorphosis to imperfection. Are you not attracted to immobility and perfection?
Verdiana Patacchini :
Imperfection is part of us, and metamorphosis lives in the balance between tradition and innovation. Rather than being attracted to perfection or immobility, I am intrigued by the dialogue between illusion and reality.
La rivolta si incanta sotto le stelle, 2025 | glazed ceramic
You have been living in the United States for many years: do you miss Italy?
Verdiana Patacchini :
I always miss Italy; it is the place of my roots, where my family and dear friends live, and where beauty is everywhere.
How is Italy seen from there?
Verdiana Patacchini :
In America, people love our country; they see it as a concentration of art and the joy of living. I didn’t leave to fill a void but out of curiosity, and it is precisely this curiosity that keeps me here now.
Installation view at Beyond the mirror | 2024 | L Space gallery 524 W 19 st, New York ((Deceitful Figure with vintage earring).
How has America changed in the last 10 years?
Verdiana Patacchini :
America is a kaleidoscope of contrasts and diversity, constantly evolving. In the last ten years, I have seen progress and new tensions that reflect the challenges of a multifaceted society. New York, with its overwhelming energy, embodies this complexity. It is a place where creativity, culture, and innovation coexist, inspiring those who live here.
What is your favorite place where you draw inspiration for your projects?
Verdiana Patacchini :
The Metropolitan Museum. I have been visiting it since my early years in New York. The variety of its collections, from Egyptian art to Balthus, and French porcelain—all of it helps me reorganize my mind. Every time I leave, I feel like I’ve found something I wasn’t even looking for. And then there’s my neighborhood, Two Bridges, in downtown Manhattan, next to Chinatown. It’s a cultural melting pot, quirky, very youthful, where you can find emerging galleries from the Lower East Side, independent and trendy shops. It feels like living in a continuous revolution. Another place I love is Dime Square, one of the few squares in Manhattan. It’s the only place that reminds me of what I miss most about Rome: having a glass of wine outdoors in a square. But here, that same atmosphere blends with a new, evolving, and vibrant bohemian scene.
If you were a place?
Verdiana Patacchini :
I would be a vibrant and multifaceted city, with the sea just a stone’s throw away for swimming.
If you hadn’t become an artist?
Verdiana Patacchini :
I might have gotten involved in art forgeries. I find the dichotomy between authentic and fake fascinating. Even in my work, I love to question the boundary between true and false.
Plans for 2025?
Verdiana Patacchini :
In my studio at Mana Contemporary, I am working on a new series of sculptures, while in July, I will return to Pietrasanta to work with one of my favorite materials: ceramics.
Interview: Germano D’Acquisto
Portraits: Ludovica Arcero
