Presented in December 2019, this profile documents Italian painter Ilaria Simeoni, born in Montebelluna in the Treviso province in 1995, and her artistic development through study at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice.
From Plants to Landscapes
Simeoni’s artistic journey began with initial studies in drawing and composition before her enrollment at the Venice Academy. Her focus on landscape as a subject to interpret on canvas emerged directly from studio work. Early studies of plants and trees led her to pursue plein-air landscape painting on paper, which she subsequently translated onto board and canvas. Through this progression, individual leaves evolved into fuller plants, then trees, and finally complete landscape compositions.
Technical Development and Expression
Rather than limiting herself to form alone, Simeoni developed detailed study of color and technique, moving beyond the concept of artificial nature tied to conventional taste. Her approach employs fluid and incisive brushwork approaching expressionist outcomes, rendered through extended gestural movements. Using refined tonalities such as green and brown applied through dilated gestures, she conveys landscape with vital character and significant emotional intensity. Critic Gabriella Niero notes that in works such as “Nature Changes Direction,” the rhythmic aspect of her painting achieves results close to abstract naturalism, with certain effects of light captured through gestural fervor that appears to reveal nature’s secrets.
Exhibition History
Between 2016 and 2019, Simeoni exhibited in numerous collective shows across Italy. Notable exhibitions include the Laboratorio Aperto di Forte Marghera in Venice (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019); Premio Mestre Pittura in Venice Mestre (2018); Biennale di Incisione di Monsummano Terme (2019); and the 101st Collective of Young Artists at the Bevilacqua La Masa Foundation in Venice (2017). She also participated in the 10th edition of the Combat Prize exhibition in Livorno (2019) and contributed to the installation of Sol LeWitt’s Walldrawing#343 at the Punta della Dogana in Venice (2016).
Frequently asked questions
Where did Simeoni study art?
Simeoni is enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice, where she continues her studies.
How did her artistic practice evolve?
Her initial botanical studies of plants and trees developed into plein-air landscape painting on paper, which she then transposed onto board and canvas, eventually achieving compositions of fuller emotional and technical complexity.
What technique characterizes her work?
Simeoni employs fluid and incisive brushwork with refined tonalities of green and brown, creating gestural, expressionist-influenced paintings that convey landscape with vital character and emotional intensity.