Maria Murgia (1935) - Maschera e astri

"Oil on canvas painting cm 70x50 created by Maria Murgia in 1995, belonging to the cycle 'Towards Color'.
SALES PRICE IN GALLERY € 3,000.00
WORK ARCHIVED https://www.mariamurgia.it

BIOGRAPHIC NOTES
THE ORIGINS
Maria Murgia was born on July 14, 1935 in Ossi, near Sassari in Sardinia. She comes from a family with ancient Sardinian noble roots. Her father Salvatore was a wine producer, while her mother Gesuina, a dynamic, intelligent woman who represents the deep Sardinian matriarchate, played an essential role in her cultural education and in the most important life choices.
FIRST ENCOUNTERS
While still very young, at the Galleria “Il Cancello” in Sassari, Maria had the opportunity to meet the great master Aligi Sassu. Struck by her early works, he strongly encouraged her to continue her artistic studies. The encounter with Sassu would recur over the years: in 1989, in Thiesi, the master visited her exhibition and described her with prophetic words as “the painter of color” and “artist of the year 2000.”
THE VENETIAN YEARS
In 1957 she married Giovanni Fancellu, also from Ossi, and moved to Venice. She lived there for ten years, immersing herself in the city’s artistic circles and frequenting the studio of master Virgilio Guidi, an experience that profoundly marked her creative path.
THE RETURN TO SARDINIA AND THE EARLY CAREER
After a period spent between Cagliari and the Maddalena island, during which she studied at the Sassari Art Institute, in 1974 she settled permanently in La Spezia. She began teaching at a school, as director of a kindergarten. Her first solo exhibition was on November 8, 1975, at the “Studio 13” directed by Andrea Occhipinti. The curator of the show and the first art critic of Murgia was, on that occasion, Professor Nicola Rilli, important for his studies on the Etruscans and for a reinterpretative work of Pinocchio. A Murgia canvas is part of the Pinocchio-dedicated collection donated by Rilli to the town of Collodi.

SUCCESS AND IMPORTANT ENCOUNTERS
In the following years she exhibited with increasing success in Italy; notably the Sagittarius gallery in Terni, where in 1977 she met Renato Guttuso, who was fascinated by the strength and luminosity of her colors. She participated in important events such as the Spoleto Festival and received in Rome the prestigious Marc’Aurelio Prize ’77 from actress Silvana Pampanini. In the same period she had a solo show at the Palazzo Pretorio in Sesto Fiorentino and met master Pietro Annigoni.

THE COSTA SMERALDA PERIOD
In 1979 she began collaboration with art dealer Franco Cardilicchia, who introduced her to the prestigious International Art Gallery of Florence. In 1981 she opened in Porto Cervo the “Studio d’Arte Maria Murgia,” active until the early 1990s. Thus she became the painter of the Costa Smeralda: her works entered the collections of important personalities and she was invited several times as guest of honor by Prince Aga Khan at the events of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. In 1983 she starred, together with Maria Carta, in a special event at the Cala di Volpe Hotel.

FAMILY COMMITMENT AND EXPOSITIVE ACTIVITY
In 1985 she was chosen, along with other artists, to decorate the official rooms of the Italian Navy ship “Zeffiro.” In 1987, under the direction of her daughter Giusy, she opened in La Spezia the art gallery “Athena” (also based in Lerici), while later her son Marco directs the gallery “Punto Arte,” which since then has curated the Maria Murgia Digital Works Archive.

THE ARTISTIC EVOLUTION AND DIGITAL ART
Maria Murgia participates in numerous art fairs in Italy and abroad. Her research never stops: always open to experimentation, in 2005 she asserts herself as one of the most avant-garde Italian artists in digital art. Her photomosaics, characterized by a style close to Pop Art, carry a strong and current message against global consumerism, the commodification of women and the oppression of childhood.

HONORARY C ITIZENSHIP
In 2012, thanks to a meeting with the Mayor of Ossi, Prof. Pasquale Lubinu, she donates a selection of works to her hometown, giving life to the Maria Murgia Art Gallery, now housed in the municipal halls. The Gallery is dedicated to the memory of her husband Giovanni, who passed away on July 20, 2014 after 57 years of marriage. In 2015 she received honorary citizenship of Ossi, awarded in an official ceremony at the Baronial Palace.

TELEVISION INTERVIEWS
October 18, 2010 marks the first broadcast on Telemarket, presenting to the public her digital works. On January 25, 2015 Maria Murgia took part live at the studios of Meeting Arte in Vercelli for the launch of the Exhibition/Auction of 30 photomosaics. Also at the invitation of Meeting Arte, Murgia was part of the jury of 20 internationally renowned artists for the 39th edition of “La modella per l’arte 2015.”
In 2016 there were two national TV interviews: March 3 on Rete 7 in the program “Contemporary Artists” and April 14 on Canale Italia 135 at the Portobello studios in Genoa for the presentation of an exhibition of photomosaics.
Recently she has exhibited with solo shows at the ArteParma and Modena 2024 fairs and ArteGenova 2026."}{