Stefania Ormas - Bali is my tropical state of mind

There is a precise instant, in journeys that change our lives, when the noise of the world falls silent and only the sound of our breath remains, blending with nature. It is exactly this suspended moment that Stefania Ormas captures in her work “Bali is my tropical state of mind.”
With her back to the observer, the female figure at the center of the canvas makes a courageous and poetic choice: she does not look at us, but invites us to look together with her. We become her eyes, her presence, her thoughts. That light dress, adorned with small flowers, seems almost to merge with the surrounding foliage, as if at that precise moment there is no longer any separation between the observer and what is observed. The tapestry of greens unfurling before us is an ode to life. The terraces of rice, shaped by human hands and the patience of time, rise toward the perched village, protected by lush vegetation. Every brushstroke on the details — the light that caresses the gathered hair, the softness of the palms, the subtle shading of the tropical sky — tells a story of care, warmth and pure nostalgia.
Oil on canvas becomes a tool of afective memory. Bali is no longer just a distant island on the map, but becomes a place of the soul: a mental space where the mind finds rest, where thoughts settle and where one finally feels at home, even thousands of kilometers from where we were born. Stefania Ormas, Apulian artist, has developed her artistic career between Barletta, Spoleto, Florence and Padua. Her artistic research focuses primarily on the female figure, exploring themes such as identity, motherhood and the role of women in society. Her portraits are not hyperrealistic, but capture the essence and personality of the subjects through the skillful use of light. In addition to the female figure, her artistic production also investigates the relationship between man and nature. In some works, nature is not just a background, but an element that blends with the female figure, symbolizing a deep almost mystical connection, in which the woman is seen as “mother” and life-giver.
Numerous solo and group exhibitions both in Italy and abroad, such as: Casa della Cultura di Navacerrada in Madrid, Palacio del Infantado in Guadalajara, Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid, RED03 Gallery in Barcelona, Galeria Bernet in Barcelona, Roccartgallery in Florence. Her works are present in private collections in Italy, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Germany, America and public ones such as in the municipality of Gata de Gorgos in Spain.