"The Shell" Painting

This is my primary Saatchi Art profile, presenting recent works currently available outside the artist’s collaboration with a gallery in Bologna, Italy.
For archival works and drawings, please visit the Roberta Cavallari Archive profile, dedicated to early research works, drawings, and archival series developed between Italy and Berlin. Roberta Cavallari’s work has been exhibited and collected through independent galleries and curatorial projects in Italy, including Galleria Studio Cenacchi, a gallery mentioned among Bologna’s contemporary art spaces by The New York Times. Born in Ferrara, Italy, I began my formal training at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna. In the late 90s, a residency in Berlin exposed me to the city’s dynamic contrasts—its empty industrial spaces and cutting-edge architecture. The rise of cyberpunk and internet culture also played a crucial role, deeply shaping the themes and aesthetics of my work. My paintings and drawings merge abstract and hyper-realistic pop elements, engaging with themes of alienation, social issues, and historical memory. Over time, my practice has expanded to include performance, video, and photography. Currently, my focus is on what I call ‘emotional interiors’: highly detailed, surreal spaces that include subtle historical references and are intended to express psychological states. My work is exhibited internationally, including a notable inclusion in the 54th Venice Biennale.