Andrea Gelsi

Recently, I have painted a series of inmigrantes . My grandfather had to migrate from Italy and two of my closest friends had to do so. As a psychologist I'm interested in the psychic continuity transmitted through generations of individuals within a family ,which goes beyond citizenship. They share moving and chimerical stories and sometimes painful experiences caused by separation and displacement . I admire immigrants 'deal with loss and how they maintain a sense of solidarity with those they left behind in their original countries. I admire their courage and sense of hope. I painted them in different moments , recently arrived and after finding their place in the world. I also love doing collages , and I did a series called 'from the garden' remembering my mother.

At age 16 I joined the workshop of artist Edgardo Ribeiro,a disciple of Uruguayan modernist pioneer Joaquín Torres Garcia .Later I continued my artistic education with painters Ribeiro Nario , Clever Lara , G.Acevedo and V. Jones and Dina Vicente, and learnt sculpture with M Ugolino.I have joined several workshops of collage, sculpture an printing . I've also joined workshops of theory of contemporary art by Clio Bugel.

Since 1980 I have exhibited in both solo and group shows in Montevideo, Bs As ,San Pablo Lisbon and Washington. I have painted murals for hospitals in Montevideo and illustrated books and a magazines. My first solo show was about Italy where my ancestors come from. From 2007 till now, I have exhibited my works in the gallery Jones-Vicente located en La Barra ,Maldonado , Uruguay , and in the Gallery Porton de San Pedro in Montevideo .