Nadia Perrotta is a visionary visual artist renowned for her socially engaged practice, encompassing illustration, moving image, performance, and creative writing. With an extensive exhibition history both nationally and internationally, Nadia’s work has been showcased in prestigious venues such as Turner Contemporary in Margate, INIVA in London, Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol, and Atelier Melusine in France. She has also participated in significant events like the AIAPI-UNESCO Human Rights? #EDU exhibition and the Whitstable Biennale Satellite.
Beyond her artistic endeavours, Nadia has a deep commitment to working collaboratively with communities. She has successfully undertaken commissions in the public realm, partnering closely with local authorities in North Kent and Medway. Her passion for fostering connections and empowering young people led her to manage the acclaimed House Of Stars at Sun Pier House. Serving as a safe hub for creativity and expression, this Art Awards registered centre facilitates collaboration, supports artistic exploration, and provides a platform for young people and creatives to connect and grow. Notably, House of Stars initiated the very first Manga Club, celebrating Medway’s historical connection with Japan through anime culture, and is a proud partner of the Medway River Lit Festival.
Nadia’s artistic practice extends beyond traditional exhibitions and commissions. She has an impressive filmography, featuring works such as “Un Paese Innocente,” “A Totally Normal Saturday in Dartford,” and “Fuscaldo,” a documentary produced in collaboration with a community of fishermen in southern Italy. Through her diverse body of work, Nadia explores the intricate relationship between landscapes, communities, and personal experiences. Her works often blend fiction and reality, utilizing poetic and metaphorical language to address social and political issues. With a focus on memory, identity, and the dynamics of landscapes, she invites viewers to question their assumptions and envision alternative narratives.
As an artist, Nadia Perrotta’s passion for collective creation, community engagement, and the transformative power of art shines through her practice. Through her visionary work, she challenges conventional perspectives, fosters dialogue, and invites audiences to contemplate the complex connections between people and their surroundings.
Presentation: Nadia Cantastorie: A Journey through the Legacy of Art and Music
At the core of Nadia Perrotta’s artistic practice lies storytelling and writing, drawing inspiration from the people around her to craft elaborate narratives that blur the lines between reality and fantasy. Her stories often serve as intricate amalgamations of reality and metaphor, layered with symbols and imagery that offer parallels to our own experiences. Initially, these narratives were conveyed primarily through moving image, employing immersive and performative mediums such as film screenings and experimental art documentaries.
Nadia’s artistic journey is deeply connected with the theme of legacy, expressing the intrinsic human desire for eternal life and the longing to leave behind a lasting imprint on the world. Through her art practice, she searches into the intricate relationship between art and legacy, acknowledging the controversial nature of this concept and embracing the varying perspectives it evokes. She believes that art creation serves as a means of remembrance, allowing artists to immortalize their essence through their works. Furthermore, Nadia perceives her own artistic journey as a testimony to the notion of legacy, with each project she undertakes representing a culmination of past experiences, influences, and creative evolution. From her earliest ventures to her latest creations, her artistic trajectory is a continuous process of growth and transformation.
During the pandemic, Nadia embarked on a new chapter of her artistic journey, exploring alternative mediums such as comics and musical narratives. At last year’s conference, she introduced her inaugural venture into musical comics, laying the groundwork for a new legacy in her artistic practice. Building upon this foundation, she is excited to present the evolution of this project, which encompasses the sequel to her first book, Murphy’s Adventures book 2: “Perceptions” and a forthcoming graphic novel “Echoes of Steel”.
The sequel to Nadia’s initial comic series, titled “Murphy’s Adventures,” maintains the storytelling structure of its predecessor while branching into new stylistic and thematic territories. Inspired by manga aesthetics, these comics cater to a younger audience, delivering a message of hope and resilience through themes of friendship and self-perception. As she reveals the second book of Murphy’s Adventures, Nadia eagerly anticipates further explorations in future volumes. Simultaneously, she is crafting a graphic novel titled “Echoes of Steel,” which builds upon the narrative framework established in her musical comics. However, this new project diverges in genre and audience, targeting a more mature demographic with its dark fantasy elements.
Drawing inspiration from local history in Medway, the narrative melds real historical events with fantastical elements, creating a rich tapestry of past and present. At the heart of “Echoes of Steel” is a cyborg protagonist, forged with a human heart, who traverses time through the power of music. The first episode is set against the backdrop of the Battle of Medway in 43 CE, where the cyborg’s journey investigates into the complexities of friendship, music, and family amidst the horrors of war, offering reflections on humanity’s enduring struggles and triumphs. Nadia’s artistic journey exemplifies the intersection of art and legacy, as she continues to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation, leaving a lasting imprint on the cultural landscape for generations to come.