Valeria Gasparrini
Artist, illustrator
About
Valeria Gasparrini ( Rome, 1964), was formed thanks to a rich contribution of artistic and literary experiences: classical studies, research in ceramics, painting, fresco, engraving, drawing from life; attended the three-year course of illustration at the IED, and was trained in the graphic engraved at the Stamperia del Tevere , in Rome. Today she works as an artist, as an advertising illustrator and freelance editorial, as a teacher of drawing, visual and illustration at Quasar Design University, the Academy of Fine Arts of L'Aquila ABAQ, the American University in Rome AUR. He draws live in theatrical performances, and realizes performances with stage machines of various nature that builds and animates on stage. As an artist he has participated in personal and collective exhibitions, and passionately dedicates himself to the creation of artist’s books, combining his remarkable illustrative nature with the infinite expressive possibilities of engraving techniques.
He has exhibited in Rome, Milan, Bologna, Faenza, Venice, Paris, Luxembourg, Rothemburg. Some of his works are part of permanent exhibitions, such as the ceramic work "Rain" at the International Museum of ceramics in Faenza, the artist book "How many irreplaceable lives", exhibited at the national library of Luxembourg, and its printed version exhibited at the Casa della Memoria in Rome.
They wrote about here
Daniele Scalise, Loris Schermi, Francesca Tuscano, Michèle Wallenborn, Devin Kovach, Sarah Linford, Gianluca Tedaldi. Valeria Bertesina. For interested people, I am writing to offer the highest recommendation for Valeria Gasparrini who has held two engraving workshops for the Rome Center of Architecture and Culture at Woodbury University which I direct. He guided the students' works, taking them from the initial drawings to the creation of the definitive prints and their possible display in an exhibition. I find her one of the most creatively contagious and inspiring people with whom I have had the opportunity to collaborate. Let me take the liberty of offering a few details regarding his remarkable abilities. To begin with, she is a very competent artist in her field. She is also generous in sharing her experience and does so with great enthusiasm. In the initial phase of the projects he offers numerous approaches, both experimental and conventional, with the aim of giving birth to works of art that can then be created on slabs. In the workshops we used zinc and copper plates, and the results were surprising. It featured field sketching exercises, complex mapping projects, and digital plate file translations. It has provided Woodbury with some of the most powerful and transformative learning experiences students have had in Rome; also in relation to what they do at home. Our students love her and she has been there for them every step of the way, teaching them techniques to achieve their creative goals. It is a magical moment when the students complete the drawings, prepare the plates, ink them working in their studio. And then they print them. This would not have been possible for us without Valeria's expertise. Thank you for the opportunity to offer a great recommendation for Valeria and I would be happy to discuss her merits further should you wish to contact me at my email: paulette.singey@gmail.c
Best regards Paulette Singley Woodbury University professor, Director of the Rome Center for Architecture and Culture
The Luceombra Center
My name is Valeria Gasparrini, and I am an artist and illustrator. I chose to live in the city of Narni because I am hungry for colors and beautiful. Here I live in an old house in the center of the village, surrounded by stones, wood, tiles; evening arrives and I don’t have to leave… I live in this beautiful place, and I gladly accept the small hardships that life in a country entails. In the field of art, I focus mainly on engraved graphics. The engraved graphic involves the creation of an engraved matrix and its printing on paper through the pressure of a printing press; to make the matrices you can engrave metal, dig wood, plexiglas, linoleum; there are a thousand ways and a thousand effects, and they are all exciting; concerning the engraving I like the materials, the smells, the tools that are used, the result and all its variants.
I am co-founder together with Antonio Andronico of the Centro Luceombra, located in Narni; in the center has been set up, among other things, an engraving and printing workshop. I rely on a press built by hand by a craftsman for the printing of etchings, woodcuts and engraved matrices of various kinds; as for the visual arts we organize exhibitions, drawing and engraving courses, workshops, artist residencies and drawing days en plein air. The Centro Luceombra has a small but excellent library of art books; the books are free consultation for members during the opening hours … who wants can come and browse.
When an exhibition is organized, the exhibition space collaborates with the work space, and both talk about the work: how it is exposed and how it was made; the opportunity to see and touch the work that the artist has done to create a work is really interesting.
In the Luceombra Center I create my works and teach those who want to learn; we work together to make talk about that part of us that is happy and creative; many people who attend the studio are not artists but curious or passionate.
The Workshop
The Centro Luceombra is a special place. It has space for everything, even if it is not particularly large; but it is well equipped and has a changing nature; the environment is enjoyable and welcoming, pleasant even for drinking a cup of tea and browsing the art books. The lighting is designed to work well in detail but also to be able to illuminate well the works that are exposed. It is equipped with 2 large work tables height 90 cm., a large worktop, chairs high in proportion, a press with light 65 cm and two platforms, one shorter and one longer than a meter. It also has another small press, light 30 cm and roll 9, handmade and designed to be mobile and transportable. With regard to printing it has all the necessary tools for inking (pads, spatulas and rollers), electric plates (2), colors, tarlatan, printing paper. As for engraving techniques, it provides burins, gouges, burnishing, tips, wheels, waxes, pricks, solvents and biting acids (we use perchlorine for copper and brass and copper sulfate for zinc, chosen for their minimal toxicity compared to conventional nitric acid). It also has easels, plans for inclined design, a bright table, a special oven for metals and tools of various kinds… well look, nothing is missing.
The Library
The Center has a small but sophisticated library of art books, illustration, technical manuals of painting and printing. It also has a small pop-up book section and a valuable small collection of Silent books. The books are available to members during the opening hours of the center.
The Exhibitions
The exhibitions organized by the Centro Luceombra started in 2022:
- Above – Below
- Pamela, stories of struggle in and out of the Ring
Courses
Unlike workshops, which are short full-immersive experiences in the subject matter, the courses take place over several appointments, following a learning path. The Centre organizes freehand drawing courses and engraving and printing courses, which take place on site. The formula of the courses is that of the laboratory-course, where there is no canonical lesson and a class, but personal requests and projects that are agreed and treated directly with the teacher, and that take place during the daily use of the laboratory. The lesson – which lasts an average of two and a half/three hours – then takes place while others work, thus learning not only from the trainer and relative to their own lesson, but also from what happens and is realized by others in the laboratory. Again, the number of participants is reduced; the schedule of lessons is agreed individually.
Workshops
The Center organizes workshops on various themes related to art and its multiple forms; the space is versatile and well equipped, and has withstood the impact of numerous challenges… from engraving workshops, to natural dyes, to screen printing. The dimension is intimate (the space does not allow and does not want too many participants) and engaging. The workshops are sometimes held by me and sometimes by external collaborators, depending on the skills; they have a duration ranging from half a day to more days, offering accommodation in the country.
Where is and how to reach the Centro Luceombra
Bocciarelli 5, about an hour and a half drive from Rome. By car: A1 direction Florence; exit for Magliano Sabino, then take the Flaminia direction Narni. Leave the car at the suffrage park and go up to the historic center with the elevators (2). Route by car Rome – Narni By train: Some trains arrive in Orte, others directly in Narni. Orte is well connected with Rome and Florence.
