The Dreamer, 2020

Born and raised in the foothills of the Italian Alps. Ilaria Arpino studied fine art, illustration and advertising in Torino, Italy. She then moved to Philadelphia, USA and worked as an Art Director. Her artwork and poster design were selected to promote former First Lady Mrs. Barbara Bush’s “Story Time” in collaboration with Time Warner Inc. In 2001, Ilaria was the recipient of the Philadelphia Art Director’s Club Award.

A number of her paintings have been used in national advertising campaigns in the USA and Italy including her ink illustration and design depicting the life of Motown legend James Jamerson.

Her passion for art fuelled her love to travel and live abroad. From 1999 through 2016 Ilaria has featured her work in exhibitions across the USA, Italy, France, Thailand, Macao and China including The Art Alliance Gallery in Philadelphia, The Bangkok Cultural Center in Bangkok and the Portuguese Art Center in Macao. In Macao China, she collaborated with renowned Chinese calligrapher, Maestro Carlos Choi, in an art exhibit titled “East meets West.” Ilaria’s most recent work includes a series of figurative bronze sculptures arising from a 10 meter-long-roll of white paper. The paper is stroked boldly with black ink in abstract calligraphy symbols representing an emblematic PATH OF LIFE. This installation was exhibited in Madrid during the summer at Faim Art Fair 2018.

Her current installation titled URBAN ANGELS features a series of solitary figurative bronzes accompanied by street construction elements such as concrete, rock and steel. The elegant nature of the bronze angels contrasts with the rough and brutal textures of the rubble, resulting in a graceful emancipation from the debris. In March  2018 Ilaria won the Maradiva Art Residency in Mauritius, one of the Art Residency Program featured in the 12 th Arte Laguna Prizes of Venice, Italy.
The residency is organized with the collaboration of the Basu Foundation for the Arts based in Kolkata, India.

Ilaria’s work is shown now at Gallery 88 in Miami Beach and MAC Fine Art Galleries in Fort Lauderdale. In December Ilaria exhibited her sculptures at Spectrum Miami 2018 during Art Basel. Ms. Arpino recently moved from China to Miami where she works and lives with her husband.