Nadia Tognazzo was born in 1959 in Milan where she lives and works. 

She has had a passion for painting since she was a child, but it is with the technique of watercolour, acquired in 1989 under the guidance of two Italian watercolour artists Anna Pavesi and Angelo Gorlini, that she expresses her true inner self. Since then using watercolour has been a totally fulfilling experience. 

Nadia Tognazzo has been a member of A.I.A. (the Italian Association of Watercolour Artists) since 1994.

In 2015 she joined the prestigious “Society for Fine Arts and Permanent Exhibition in Milan. 

In addition to painting activity, she teaches courses in watercolour in the north of Italy (mainly in Milan) and, during the summer, in Sweden (Dalarna region, organized by the Akvarellcenter). 

She has taken part in many exhibitions in Italy (Milano, Roma, Cremona, Arezzo, Genova, Bellagio, Piacenza, Verona, Porcia, Fabriano, Alessandria, Padova, Anacapri, Napoli, Venezia) and abroad: Barcelona, Brussels, Antwerpen, Mexico City, Saint Petersburg, Bilbao, Thessaloniki, Paris-Salon d’Automne 2006-2007, Ronneby, Stockholm, Leipzig, Aiguillon Lot et Garonne, Agen, Salamanca, Loten (Norway), San Féréole (France), Kazimierz Dolny (Poland),  Happsalu (Estonia), Ulm (Germany).

 

Awards:

Watercolour Biennial Albignasego - 3rd prize, 1995 

“Premio Velletri - Vincenzo Cabianca” - 1st prize, 1999  

3th International Watercolour Biennial – Mexico - Trofeo de Excelencia, 2000 

“Emilio Gola” National Competition - Olgiate Molgora - 2nd prize, 2003   

“Palazzina Liberty” Competition- Milano - 1st prize, 2003

“Città di Milano” Watercolour contest - 3rd prize, 2004

Piacenza National Painting Competition, Piacenza - 1st prize, 2006   

“Emilio Gola” National Competition - Olgiate Molgora- 1st prize, 2007 

“Agazzi” National Competition - 3rd prize, 2008

Piacenza National Painting Competition - 1st prize, 2008 

XII Watercolour Biennial – Albignasego - 3rd prize, 2012

She has been invited as Guest of Honor at the 8th Festival International de l’Aquarelle in Aiguillon (France) in 2015.

Juror of the International Biennial Prize “Marche d’Acqua” Fabriano Watercolour 2020 and 2022.

 

I love watercolor because it represents a fascinating dialogue among mind, instinct, water, colour and paper and it is for me a unique means to express emotions and reflections coming directly from the depth of my mind.

From a technical point of view, I like to use pure watercolour and different kinds of watercolour techniques mixed in a “special cocktail” always different for each kind of subject. I love contrasts because they releise energy and therefore I use bold instinctive strokes as well as, tones and strong colours, sometimes diluted to light veil and sometimes concentrated in strong lines.

My painting is mostly figurative and inspiration is drawn principally from the reality of city life and from nature, lived as a refuge and source of meditation. A special place is reserved for still lifes, which I often use as a stage to represent feelings and reflections.

“Disruption of daily life” is a metaphor of what can happen in our life. The flow of everyday life can be suddenly shaken due to an unexpected and sudden event. Everything can change from one moment to the next. As well as a clumsy pull of the tablecloth caused the bottle to fall and led to the mess on the table.

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Milano
http://www.nadiatognazzo.it
nadia.tognazzo@gmail.com

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