Silvia Paci

The figures created by Silvia Paci (Prato, 1990) seem to come from a fairy-tale-like, festive world—an imaginary homeland of lies and spells where all distinction between the real and the fantastical breaks down. Self-portraits and autobiographical elements coexist with characters from fairy tales, myths, and folklore, thereby abolishing any organizing logic.

But the intent of the artist—a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence—is not to create simple adaptations of folk tales, but rather to draw on stories and scenarios now deeply rooted in the collective imagination (such as the Land of Plenty) to explore the theme of identity, the masks we routinely wear, and the roles we play in everyday life. In this sense, *Feticcio* is an emblematic work that revolves around a sort of delightfully unsettling puppet, where every element alludes to a possible story, leaving room for the imagination. Rather than limiting itself to commenting on or cataloging reality, with Paci, painting reclaims its power of transfiguration—the force of magical thinking.

Text by Giulia Oglialoro