Notturno con aura Painting

Paola Rattazzi was born on the 31st of January 1973 in Savigliano, Italy, and since 2011 she has lived and worked in Torino, Italy. After graduating from “Liceo Ego Bianchi”, Cuneo, Italy, she achieved a first-class Master’s degree in Graphic Design at ISIA (Istituto Superiore per le Industrie Artistiche), University of Urbino, Italy. While she was studying at university, she joined Lorenzo Mattotti’s group for work experience in illustration and she attended a workshop on drawing for Children’s Book Illustration in Venezia, Italy, held by Lisbeth Zwerger, one of the most honoured illustrators alive today. Alongside working for more than 15 years as a graphic designer in advertising, Paola continued to be artistically active and displayed her work in a number of group or solo exhibitions. In 2007 she gave birth, together with Anna Olmo, to the artistic project entitled “Extroversi”: poems and paintings combined with video installation. In 2008 she was selected for the 1st International Roaming Biennial of Tehran, Iran, and the same year she was invited to take part to the exhibition “L’arte contemporanea abbraccia la Lila” at the Theatre La Pergola in Firenze, Italy. In 2009 she won the 2nd place at the “XXXI Matteo Olivero Painting Competition” in Saluzzo and she displayed her work in the solo exhibition “Scenari sospesi. Dipinti tra il sonno e la veglia” at the Senesi Art Gallery in Savigliano. In 2010 her painting entitled “Pomeriggio sull’erba” was selected by Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio of Cuneo for the front cover of the book “Il nostro patto di civiltà. La Carta Costituzionale e la Carta dei Diritti UE”; in the same year she was honoured with the “XXXII Matteo Olivero Painting Prize” in Saluzzo and the Special Award “Provincia di Cuneo” at the XXII National Prize “Cesare Pavese”, Santo Stefano Belbo, Italy; also, she launched the solo exhibition “Pieghe della memoria” at San Gregorio Church, Cherasco, Italy. In 2011, Paola decided to leave graphic design to focus on painting. She was a finalist for the “Arte Mondadori Prize” in 2010 and 2011; in 2012 she won the Special Jury Award at the “XXXIV Matteo Olivero Painting Prize” at the “XXXIV Matteo Olivero Painting Prize” in Saluzzo and was a finalist in both the “Marina di Ravenna” Prize and the XVII National Competition of Contemporary Art “SaturARTE” in Genova, Italy.