Margherita Abbozzo

Born in 1959

Italy

http://www.margheritaabbozzo.com/

date of insertion in W.A.D. 06/2024

Biography

Florentine, born in 1959, I consider mysel lucky to be the daughter and granddaughter of female scientists, and to have uncles who are artists: they all have been an important source of inspiration.

I first studied History of Art and graduated from the University of Florence with the great Professor Carlo Del Bravo; later, I studied Fine Arts in London, where I lived for twenty years with my husband and brought up our three children. Results: a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master in Fine Arts from UAL, University of the Arts London. While in London I kept a running studio practice in an international artists community and at the same time worked in Education at the National Gallery and wrote regular columns about art and photography for international art publications.

Right on the crest of the new millennium, I returned to live under the shadow of Brunelleschi’s Dome for a sabbatical year… and my roots took hold of me. Since then I have lived in Florence in a perennial state of gratitude for belonging to all its beauty – even if the the transformation of the city into an amusement park for tourists is hard to stomach.

I paint, I teach, I write. Socially committed, I have written about classic, modern and contemporary and photography for two decades for the website of an ‘anti system’ radio station. Woman, feminist, daughter, wife, mother, painter, teacher, journalist, introvert and extrovert, unsociable and sociable: I don’t believe in definitions.

My painting practice has been inspired by the mystical teachings of St Teresa of Avila, by work in the garden, by star observations. Whether the looking is inwards or outwards, the common denominator is the search for meaning in our passage on this planet.

Simply put, I believe that art is stronger than death. I believe that each of us belongs to an Elsewhere and is part of the cosmic dance, the heartbeat and compassionate breath of the universe. We are the vibration of the world. We are original seeds of the Cosmos carried by the whim of the winds. We are stardust. Painting will never die.

Curriculum

CURRICULUM VITAE

Summary

Practicing visual artist, writer and educator. Essayst and writer on all aspects of art and photography. Professor of Contemporary Arts and Photography at IED Firenze. Loves art and sharing it with others.

Experience

Professional journalist writing on art, photography and exhibitions for national and international publications since 1983.
25+ year experience in teaching students at graduate and post graduate level, both for IED Florence and Fondazione Studio Marangoni. While living in London, employed in the Education Dept. of the National Gallery London (10 years) and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Education

• M.A. (Camberwell, UAL London), 2000.
• B.A. in Fine Arts, London (Byam Shaw/Saint Martins, UAL London) 1997
• Laurea (5 years) in History of Art, Università di Firenze, 1985

Publications

A regular contributor to Italian and international publications, for the complete list of essays and articles please see http://www.margheritaabbozzo.com/bio_ita.html

Lecturer on photography and art for international associations: among others, for The International Council of Fine Arts Deans (ICFAD), the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington D.C., Texas A&M University, Pepperdine University, the American Women’ League.

Editor since 2007 of the cultural pages for Controradio (Popolare Network) homepage: https://www.controradio.it/author/margherita-author/

Editorial board member of Progresso Fotografico and Zoom from 1985 to 1995.

Author of 3 artist books in the collections of Tate Gallery and Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Exhibitions

For the complete list of exhibitions, http://www.margheritaabbozzo.com