BIOGRAPHY

Lucia Emanuela Curzi’s practice interrogates the construction of feminine identity within the sphere of contemporary mass media. Moving beyond the codified aesthetics of the fashion image—a field in which she possesses a distinguished archival background—Curzi’s current work deconstructs these visual systems through a visceral painterly language. Working primarily with oil on linen, she employs the tactile resistance of the support and the slow layering of pigment to investigate the tension between the polished surface of the "spectacle" and the psychological complexity of the subject.

Recurring throughout her oeuvre is the motif of the swan, which functions as a liminal threshold between the tangible reality of the body and the ethereal realm of the unconscious. Her compositions are characterized by a dialogue between graphic rigor and gestural abstraction, where the elegance of line—once a tool of commercial perfection—is subverted to reveal a raw, underlying vulnerability. This transition from ink to oil represents a critical shift in her inquiry, moving from the reproduction of style to the excavation of memory and time.

Curzi’s research is informed by a fifteen-year tenure shaping the visual narratives of global luxury and publishing, including collaborations with Yves Saint Laurent and editorial contributions to Vogue and Vanity Fair. This immersion in the mechanics of desire and image-making serves as the foundational text for her current critical deconstruction. Parallel to her studio practice, Curzi serves as a University Professor, merging theoretical pedagogy with material investigation.

Her work has been exhibited internationally in both institutional and commercial contexts. Notable presentations include the Victoria & Albert Museum and Tate Britain in London. Recent exhibitions include Vanitas (Milan, 2024) and Salt and Stars at J/M Gallery (London, 2024).

EXHIBITIONS

October 2024, Milano
Chiesa di Sant’Ambrogio della Vittoria
Vanitas

March 2024, London
J/M Gallery, Portobello Road
Salt and Stars Exhibition

September 2023, London
London Design Week
Official Open Studios

February 2022, London
HRH Princess Margaret – 20 Years 20 Artworks
Ken Griffith Bureau
Collective exhibition

March/April 2016, Fidenza
Infinite shoes. A colouring walk into Fashion Illustration
Collective Exhibition curated by Clara Tosi Pamphili e Alessio de Navasquez

September 2015, April 2016
Best Fashion Illustration Across Poland
Fashion Week in Łódź , Manufacture, Museum Of Modern Art.
Collective Exhibition

August 2014, London
Tate Britain
BP Spotlight: Source – Texture & Collage
Collective Exhibition

June 2014, London
House of Illustration
Illustration Fair

July 2009, London
Victoria & Albert Museum
Paper and Scissors Collective Exhibition

AWARDS

May 2012, London
Olympia Competition judged by Sir Peter Blake
Second prize