ANTONELLA SIGISMONDI
“I’m inspired by strong women, and the suffering they endure. The psychology of people and the female perspective interest me, their inner thoughts and the stories and surprises we tell ourselves. I am moved by theatre, gnostic teachings, classical music, the whispers of trees, the smell and power of flowers, innovative creative architecture of nature, and also artists like: Manuel Neri, Urs Fischer, Frank Gehrey, Frank Stella, Toulouse Lautrec, Edgar Degas, Kehinde Wiley, Cecily Brown, and Irene Frolic.”
Antonella Sigismondi, born in Pescara, Italy in 1967, is a multi-disciplinary artist known for her glass-metal sculptures and acrylic paintings. At 2 months old, she moved to Canada with her opera-singing parents and sister Floria. There she began studying art with the late Hungarian artist Tibor Nyilasi. Antonella studied Glass and Experimental Studies at the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto from 1987-1991, where she won several awards as a painter and sculptor.
Active in Toronto, LA and Italy, Antonella’s artworks can be found in many private collections. She’s worked for artists David Bowie, Marilyn Manson, The Cure, Lisa dal Bello, music producer Daniel Lanois, and filmmakers Kathi Prosser, Eric Yealland and Don Allan. She then studied acting at Ryerson University in 1996 and has appeared in commercials and films including opposite Kristian Stewart in the Hollywood production of “The Runaways” directed by her sister Floria Sigismondi with whom she has collaborated both as an actress, model and art-director on many projects.
In 2010, Antonella moved to Italy where she resided in the city Pescara. In 2013 she partook in “CORPO ; Estraneo/Straniero,” (translated “BODY/Stranger/ Foreign) a Performance Festival curated by Sibilla Panerai and Ivan D’Alberto where she debuted her "Coochie Store" fashion show. There she also showed her short film, “Coochie Mama” (made in Canada) to much success. A critique of this short film was printed in their book in Abruzzo called, “Corpo, Estraneo /Straniero. The History of Performance Art in Abruzzo, Italy”.
Soon after a visit to her elderly parents in Nocciano, she realised her career had to take a backburner. They needed her. Becoming caregivers for the both of them she began to paint when she had time, and only at night when they were both asleep. The only time she had to herself. Her strenuous lifestyle had begun to take a toll on her health. She had developed Strabismus and needed to have a procedure to correct her alignment of her vision, this changing her trajectory. This is her story.
A Painting in progress, Acrylic and oils on canvas.