Antonella Giulia Patini, was born in Gorizia, Italy, on a brisk day in late December 1957. However, familial circumstances led her to be entrusted at a young age to her aunt in Brazil and later adopted with the surname Quacchia. She grew up absorbing the positivity, joyfulness, and cheerfulness of Brazilian people, by which she literally let herself be enveloped. This was to be decisive for her outlook on life, and a strength to sustain her even in the most difficult moments.
Her return to Italy and later the completion of her academic studies in Computer Science, led her to secure international jobs in Geneva, first at the European Centre of Nuclear Research (CERN) and subsequently at the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Balancing family, career, and personal challenges, she temporarily set aside her artistic pursuits until 2012, when she reignited her passion for painting. Dedicated to honing her craft, she sought instruction from esteemed masters such as: Gilbert Wolfisberg at the L’ArtiQuarium School of Art in Geneva; Alain Gegout at the Atelier de la Roccaille in France; Professor Andy Nabong at the Atelier of Traditional Art in Vienna; Leo Plaw and Jura Bedic with whom she studied the human figure and portraits; and also Angelika Domenig, Roberto Zielasco and Eftichia Schlamadinger at the Kunstfabrik Akademie in Vienna, thanks to whom she developed skills in abstract painting.
An artistic nature that is constantly evolving and experimenting leads her to mix a variety of materials with different consistencies such as: acrylics colours, metal and marble powders, oil paints, watercolours, inks, pastels, charcoals, as well as paper, bitumen, and recycled materials.
In 2020, feeling prepared to pursue a more professional path, Quacchia began showcasing her work to broader audiences in art fairs and group exhibitions across cities including Vienna, Innsbruck, Paris, London, New York, Tokyo, Luxembourg, Madrid, Rome, Genoa, Cortona, and Venice. Her artworks have garnered recognition through solo exhibitions at prestigious venues such as MyOwnGallery Superstudio Piu’ in Milan, the Palazzo della Cancelleria Vaticana in Rome, the Palazzo Pisani Revedin in Venice, as well as twice in Vienna. Notably, her pieces have been included in esteemed publications such as the “Catalogo dell’Arte Moderna”, editions 58 and 59, published by Editoriale Giorgio Mondadori, in “Woman’s essence 2022” and “WE ARE REVERSAL” published by Serradifalco Edizioni, and in the “Art Anthology V” 2022 published by Guto Cultural House, Madrid.
In 2023, a collaboration with independent art curator Fortunato D’Amico opened doors to new artistic expressions, leading her to explore resin as a medium for creating innovative wall works and sculptures. The same year marked another milestone as Quacchia published her bilingual EN/IT monograph “Antonella Quacchia. Orizzonti sensibili/Sensitive Horizons,” presented at Milano Bookcity 2023, cementing her status in the contemporary art world.
Today, Antonella Quacchia resides and creates in Vienna, Austria. Her life and artistic journey are a testament to resilience, passion, and boundless creativity.
