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My mission

 

As an artist and educator, my mission is to promote awareness about globally relevant issues. 

My ultimate goal is to foster personal understanding and to generate change. 

The arts enable people with different world-views to come together and share experiences. I definitively want to contribute to creating that space sharing. I believe strongly in the power of a universal language that is rooted in “feeling;” common to us all; and can transcend time, space, and cultural differences. I actively support campaigns directed to raise awareness on issues close to my heart.

I donate part of the revenues from the sale of my work to small nonprofit organizations focused on human and social rights and environmental issues.

I am also the author of a soon-to-be-published book, an analysis of some aesthetics and moral aspects of Western and Eastern art that aims to promote a dialogue among diverse cultures essential to create a universal ethic. 

Headshot Federica Donato.jpg

 

My story

Raised in Southern Italy, I grew up within a community surrounded by history, culture, diversity, and an incredible artistic heritage. 

Located near the center of the Mediterranean Sea, this region witnessed a long series of foreign dominations, migration waves, and cultural exchanges. Accordingly, its population diversity comprises multiple genetic layers, which makes the deciphering of different ancestral and historical backgrounds particularly challenging. I came to appreciate the hybrid formation of this society from successive waves of cultural influences. 

The classical tradition of Ancient Greece and Rome has been ever present in my life, profoundly impacting my education and is continually seeping into my work. 

While constantly appreciating the splendor and innate beauty of classicism, I have been growing increasingly aware of some of the ugliness of reality—hypocrisy bigotry, and moral depravity. Always feeling the great need  to expand my horizons and to enhance my knowledge, I decided, at the age of 24, to leave Italy and live in Belgium. While there, I studied painting techniques in the studio of an extraordinary Belgian artist, Gauthier Hubert. I gained greater awareness of the contemporary art scene and also  received my degree in History of Contemporary Art from the University of Rome in 2013.
 

 

My work

Embedded in my art are a number of historical, philosophical, visual, spiritual, and biological subtleties derived from my diverse background and artistic influences. My work reflects an enduring interest in the human potential in a world fraught with violence and ambiguity. More precisely, most of my art work centers around the loss of human dignity. I focus on emphasizing how both people and the environment are victims, abused and deceived by false dialogues across time, as well as victims of hypocritical societies, excessive nationalism, meaningless formalities, and unproductive practices. 

 

The ink stamp series

My last works are realized through the systematic repetition of an ink stamp on paper.

This repetitive action represents the constant wrongs others have done in the past and that we continue to make today.

Using this repetitive process, I create fullness and emptiness, intensity and lightness, depth and distances. Unlike with a brush, there is no room for error; just as in certain circumstances, there should be no space left for mistaken actions.

Open mouths, cavities, darkness, fullness and emptiness are like a scream into the void. The space  stands as an echo of human brutality. The spectator is challenged to actively view and decode the image.  

For this series, I have used alphabet letter stamps to emphasize the power words and dialogue have to convey the truth. I believe that only knowledge and awareness of the world can pave the way to a healthier society. Moreover, the minimalist choice of black and white in this series emphasizes the message—the urgency of communicating the truth. 

 

The R-evolution series  

Art is more and more a reaction to what goes on around us and helps us to reflect on what is happening in the world. Why are we here on this planet? What is our purpose? What is our responsibility? Throughout my life, I have asked myself these questions, and they continue to influence me as an artist. My R-evolution series evoke the growing disconnection of the modern world from nature as well as the lost sense of humanity. Nonetheless, my  pieces also convey  an atmosphere and message of hope, even if there is still a long way to go.

As citizens of the world, we are all interconnected. The future of our children should be our main concern, and I believe strongly in the power of education to create healthier and sustainable knowledge-based societies. 

You can find my latest interview here

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