Nicoletta Ceccoli was born in 1973 in the Republic of San Marino, Italy and graduated from the Institute of Art in Urbino where she went to classes in the ducal palace, and studied animation cinema. She has illustrated many children’s books, primarily in Italy, the USA and the UK. The artist has shown her work in prestigious collections throughout the world.
The dreamlike characters of Nicoletta’s mind have been influenced by artists such as Remedios Varo, Domenico Gnoli, Paolo Uccello, Mark Ryden, Edward Gorey, Winsor McCay and Ray Caesar. The artist’s lifelong love of dolls is frequently reflected in her painted figures, which are imbued with a deceptive simplicity. Ceccoli’s works are all images extracted from her vivid imagination, and are deliberately titled with names that satisfy the artwork’s multiple layers.
Nicoletta’s paintings strike a delicate balance between haunting and uplifting. Every hazy image is a frozen story that sparks the viewer’s imagination and inspires a deeper level of consideration. Her artwork is visual poetry and layered metaphor. Upon first glance, her beautiful canvases masquerade as youthful and innocent. But when inspected in greater detail, as each work warrants, Nicoletta’s masterful and delightful creations reveal a wealth of intricate and thought-provoking details.
“I do realize that the characters in my pictures reflect my alter ego. When I look for an idea, though, I don’t really think about a personal experience. After the painting is finished, I often realize how the painting evolved from my own feelings. The unconscious process is quite like in a dream, and what I mean by that is when I have discovered an idea I pursue it completely unaware of where I am heading or what I could encounter along the way.” – Nicola Ceccoli (Blue Lyra Review)
