Critical texts
My works show a significant set of personal travel experiences inspired by the world of nature and by the popular cultures of different civilizations.
Caracterized by vividness and compositional harmony, my paintings express an intense lyrism easily readable without any textual and conceptual explanations.
The theatricality of the image fills the scene: animals in their own natural habitat, trees, flowers, rocky formations, architectures of historical interest, snow-covered mountain landscapes and tropical beaches of far and silent places, some human figures so distant from our own culture.
The range of brilliant colours, the well-defined lines express my engagement to bring the observer close to the natural elements through a keen observation of the decorative and magic beauty of reality.
My creative research turns towards a figurative and contemplative art in which my imagination tries to express the harmony of our Earth.
MARIA CRISTINA BALBONI
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INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION "SPOLETO ARTE" SPOLETO ( ITALY)
One of the sensations you have when observing Maria Cristina Balboni's paintings is that of wonder and amazement at discovering different points of view on reality.
The artist , with minute details , leads into the scene and explains with didactic light and colors what the observer feels, what the subject wants to express.
The perspective, the foreshortening proposed in the painting" Positano- Amalfi coast - on the shimmering sea...., in addition to open a gap in the sunset , brings out the essence of that place from a cloud of surprise.
SALVO NUGNES Curator of events and international exhibitions-
29 june- 22 july 2019 - Spoleto Arte in Leti Sansi Palace - Spoleto ( Italy)
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EXHIBITION : "TRAVELLING EMOTIONS AND THEATER OF NATURE"
After a literary education,since 2012 Maria Cristina Balboni has been dedicating herself to the study of art.
Her figurative paintings show diversified scenes: from sea or mountain lanscapes to urban views, from still life to floral close-up, people ,animals.
I recommend to see the paintings representing wonderful wolves,characterized by clear and thick brushstrokes with an almost three-dimensional effect.
Many of her works have a common interest to represent on the canvas geographically distant subjects, the result of personal and travelling experiences that lead us to a direct contact with cultures and landscapes we don't know.
Similarly the landscapes offer us a vision of new worlds, such as in " Fiji Islands" , a paradisiacal sea view , or " Glaciers in Patagonia- Argentine or "Monument Valley" that carries us with the mind in the hearth of United States of America, making us inmediately think to American Indians.
Different and distant cultures, filtered through the artist's eyes that allow us to take part in her personal experience by choosing what to tell about that.
Her works are able to make us travel with the mind while staying still in the same place: from a museum in France to an archaelogical site in Syria, from andean landscapes of Chile and Argentina to warm and dry climate in Ethiopia, from the great parks of United States of America to Burma, from Namibian populations to Moroccan landscape , moving to Italy.
Finally I would remark on some paintings with snow and glaciers images where the white colour is used with a more than real brightness , nearly blinding and sometimes deliberately with a material consistency of colour.
ROBERTO MAZZACURATI Art Advisor
7 april- 5 may 2017 Fideuram private banking in FERRARA ( ITALIA)
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EXHIBITION : " MAGIC EARTH : NATURE, CULTURES, ARCHITECTURES"
THE LUCK OF TRAVELLING IS MEANINGLESS IF YOU ARE NOT BLESSED WITH THE CAPACITY TO “ SEE “ AND “ FEEL” THE SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT OF THE PLACES VISITED.
A TALENT THAT BELONGS TO MARIA CRISTINA BALBONI .
IN FACT SHE COMBINES THE PRIVILEGE OF THE JOURNEY TO THE SENSITIVITY OF THE VISUAL PERCEPTION, TRANSFORMING INTO ART EVERYTHING SHE HAS SEEN.
IN ALL HER PAINTINGS, AMONG WHICH “ THE CLUNY MUSEUM IN PARIS “ , “ THE IGUAZU FALLS” , “ THE LEGENDARY PETRA AND PALMYRA” , AND IN SOME OF THE FIGURES PERCEIVED WITH COMPASSION , SUCH AS “ THE WOOD GATHERER IN BURMA “ OR “ THE GIRLS SLAVES IN ETHIOPIA” , HER VIVID PARTECIPATION TO WHAT SHE PORTRAYS IS PALPABLE AND THE UNDISPUTED PROTAGONIST IS ALWAYS THE COLOUR.
IT IS NOT THE DRAWING , RARELY USED BY THE PAINTER ON THE CANVAS, BUT ON THE CONTRARY IT IS THE “ SIGN “ THAT ORIGINATES FROM THE CHROMATIC EFFECTS, CREATING SENSATIONAL RESULTS.
THE PURPOSE OF THE ARTIST’S PAINTING IS CLARITY AND NOT THE EFFECT.
IN FACT THE TWO INSPIRATIONAL PAINTERS FOR MARIA CRISTINA BALBONI, WHO TRAINED AT THE “ CENTOPIEVESE “ ART SCHOOL UNDER THE PAINTING TEACHER NUVOLI, ARE RAFFAELLO AND CARAVAGGIO , TWO CORNERSTONES IN THE ART SCENE AND UNDISPUTED MASTERS WHO KNOW NO VAGUENESS ON THE CANVAS.
IF THAT CLASSICISM AND NATURALISM MAKE PERCEIVE AT THE MOST THE FASCINATION OF FIGURES AND LANDSCAPES, IN NOWADAYS GLOBALIZED WORLD, PAINTING DIFFERENT AREAS AND CULTURES OF THE WORLD, AS MARIA CRISTINA DOES , MEANS REMOVING THEM FROM THE INDISTINCT VAGUENESS , VALORIZING THEM , AS SPECIAL REALITIES IN THEIR UNIQUENESS, WHICH DESERVE TO BE PORTRAYED.
THE ARTIST MARIA CRISTINA BALBONI IS INTERESTED IN DISCOVERING, GAINING KNOWLEDGE , PHOTOGRAPHING AND REPRODUCING ON THE CANVAS MEMORIES AND EXCITING EXPERIENCES , FOR EXAMPLE “ THE HOWLING WOLVES “ AND “ THE TANGO DANCED IN BUENOSAIRES” .
IN FACT THE ARTIST, THROUGH HER FIGURATIVE STYLE, EXPRESSES HER LOVE FOR THE REALITY IN ITS DIFFERENT FORMS.
A SORT OF HYMN TO THE EXISTENCE SUNG BY THE IMAGES, A CREATIVE JOY THAT CLEARLY APPEARS IN THE BRILLIANCE OF THE COLOURS CHOSEN , AS SHOWN IN HER PAINTINGS DISPLAYED AT THE EXHIBITION “ MAGIC EARTH : NATURE, CULTURES, ARCHITECTURES “ HELD AT THE ART GALLERY “ DE MARCHI” IN BOLOGNA FROM 10 TO 22 SEPTEMBER 2016 .
MICHELA TURRA
Journalist and writer
Art Gallery “ De Marchi” - Bologna 10-22 September 2016 ( Italy)
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EXHIBITION: “ MAGIC EARTH: NATURE, CULTURES, ARCHITECTURES”
I believe I can state with fair assurance that Maria Cristina Balboni is a researcher at the constant discovery of new worlds. In fact, if we associate the term “ research” with a deepening of real situations in order to enrich not only ourselves but also the viewers of our works, we come to the conclusion that Maria Cristina Balboni has correctly interpreted the concept of research . It’s in the journey that the artist draws ideas for her works.
The Journey itself is the initial element of an interesting mental and emotional reworking of the experience that will be developed by means of paints and brushes but that goes beyond the technical and expressive aspect and places itself on the level of a sublimation of memory into something of “ other ” ( where the word “ other” is to be understood in the Latin way and that means in the “ other” between two concepts).
In fact , if on the one hand the primary concept of journey , as it was handed down from literary and poetic tradition ( from Homer first of all ) , is inextricably linked to that of discovery of new worlds and ways , on the other hand the travel is to be understood as an exploration of “ oneself “ in relation to the places visited.
The travel represents , in fact, a constant dialogue with a world that is outside of the “self” and that , in a sense , it becomes a place where the relationship with “ the other “ becomes more difficult and complicated owing to obvious reasons of language, uses and customs.
Maria Cristina Balboni correlates precisely with this : the theme of remembrance, represented by the so-called travel notes, and the sublimation of these through the sensations and the feelings that the memory ,emerged from the notes, can bring out.
This results in works seemingly intelligible but , in a second observation, reveal all their epiphany of feeling.
So then, the quiet of night landscapes or the joyful and elegantly sensual representation of the Argentine or Spanish dance , or ultimately the elegance of the women portrayed or of the animals , whose essential features have been captured , don’t represent an ultimate aim but a start for our personal journey.
Accompanied , by the hand, by the brushstrokes of the painter ,then , we come to the paradox of the trip without displacement but with the assurance of having , at least for a moment , daydreamed.
MICHELE GOVONI
journalist and art reporter
Ferrara, 21 November- 4 December 2015
Art Gallery “ Il Rivellino” Ferrara ( Italy)
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EXHIBITION: " TRAVEL NOTES"
THE ARTIST MARIA CRISTINA BALBONI
DOESN’T PAINT TO IMPOSE HERSELF BUT TO EXPRESS , MAINLY TO HERSELF, HER ARTISTIC VISION THAT NEVER CONTRADICTS THE MOST SIMPLE AND SINCERE EMOTIONS.
LANDSCAPES, FLOWERS, STILL LIFE, FIGURES AND SETTINGS ARE THE RESULT OF HER TRAVELLING ROUND THE WORLD ,
CAPTURING EVERYWHERE AN ARTISTIC VISION THAT COMES OUT FROM ORDINARY PEOPLE AND LIFE.
HAVING A RESERVED DISPOSITION , SHE CREATES HER PICTORIAL COMPOSITIONS GIVING TO EACH OF THEM A VIBRANT REALITY FREE FROM ACADEMIC INFLUENCES.
WE ARE CERTAINLY GOING TO ADMIRE OTHER CRISTINA’S PAINTINGS AND, AS OBSERVERS , WE WILL GET INTO THOSE SPACES WHERE , THROUGH HER IMAGINATION AND SENSITIVITY, WE WILL ENJOY THE PICTORIAL BEAUTY OF THE MOMENT.
CRISTINA IS NOT A PROLIFIC PAINTER AND FOR THIS REASON ALL HER WORKS SHOW THE IMPRINT OF MEDITATION AND ARTISTIC ENGAGEMENT THROUGH WHICH SHE DEVELOPS POETIC AND EXPRESSIVE CREATIONS OF GREAT EMOTIONAL RESULT .
Master painter ANTONELLO NUVOLI
Centopievese Art School in CENTO ( FERRARA) ITALY
17- 29 Octuber 2015
4-16 June 2016
Point of Exhibition “ Novantasette Arts” S. Giovanni in Persiceto ( Bologna) Italy
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SOME WRITTEN COMMENTS OF THE ART GALLERIES VISITORS
- a sensitive and talented artist who creates beautiful and suggestive images full of poetry; I like her creativity always aimed at a reality based on a personally lived experience and possible to live.
- An interesting exhibition which succeeded in transforming tourist locations in places of the soul because ,perhaps, a part of it remained there.
The gallerist de “ Il Rivellino”
- I liked these paintings because they invite the viewer to enter the painted world.
- Looking at these paintings I have the desire to travel….
- Suggestive paintings which tell dreamy stories ….Thanks
