Eufemia

The work won the first prize in the competition for artists "TERRE DI MANTEGNA 2022" promoted by: University of Padua - Department of Historical, Geographical and Antiquity Sciences, UCAI section of Padua, Robertus de Apulia Study Centre, City of Piazzola sul Brenta (PD), City of Irsina (MT). The travelling exhibition went to the following locations: Padua, Piazzola on Brenta (PD), Este (PD) and Irsina (MT).

Technical notes:: The sculpture is hand-modelled in pink clay, decorated with engobes and glazes. It underwent two firings at 960 ° and 980 °.

Measurements: cm30xcm33xcm20

Year of construction: 2022

Concept of the work

I was struck by the wooden statue of Santa Eufemia attributed to Mantegna. I documented the life of the Saint and the legends and miracles attributed to her.

I created a unique sculpture that summarised the life and legends of the saint as they did in the past when images and symbols were used to convey the message for those who could not read.

Eufemia is young, full of colour and life, on her skin there are all the shades of the dawn. Her gaze is devoid of pupils and is lost in the perspective of the afterlife.

I represented her and the lion as one, the hair and the mane are one in the other. It is as if the two knew each other, the hand in the jaws of the fair is not an expression of violence, but of an expected and desired gesture.

The miracle of her sarcophagus which appeared, no one knows how, on the shores of Istria is represented on the body and dress of the young woman. The blue of the ocean has guarded it and returned it to humanity to adore it.