Coutesy of the artist
Born 1961, Salento, Italy
Lives and works in Genoa, Italy
Vera Girivi is a self-taught artist who began painting over six years ago in her home in Genoa. Within this brief time, she has already exhibited internationally in New York, Marfa, and Paris. Her paintings are held in both private museums and foundation collections in Italy, Germany, and the United States with publications such as The New York Times, New York Magazine, and Le Figaro taking notice and writing reviews of her work. As an homage to her family, Girivi paints under a pseudonym that combines the names of her children and husband: ‘GI’ for Giovanna, her daughter, ‘RI’ for Riccardo, her son, and ‘VI’ for Vittorio, her husband.
Girivi paints on her wooden kitchen table and applies expressive colors and energetic strokes to capture the beauty that surrounds her every day. Drawing inspiration from her own lived experiences and imagination, Girivi paints landscapes of the Ligurian region and intimate figures of women, often times nude, relaxing in their private interiors.
“The figure of a naked woman has always been a theme I have taken up because I believe that the perfection of the female body is a complete expression in vision and feeling. What is important is not the profile…but the soul inside of it.”