The American University of Rome is delighted to celebrate the latest exhibition by Professor Valeria Gasparrini, illustrator, artist, and member of AUR’s Fine Arts faculty. Titled Chromatic Variations of an Incredible Journey, the exhibition opened in February 2026 at Stamperia Ripa 69 and presents a series of works that combine visual art and narrative storytelling.
In this project, Gasparrini acts as both author and illustrator, developing an original art book in which text and image work together to form a poetic narrative. Drawing on her classical training and artistic practice, she explores a wide range of visual techniques to identify the style most suited to each moment of the story. The result is a body of work that reflects both technical versatility and a distinctive illustrative voice.
The exhibition brings together 21 illustrations created through linocut, collage, and watercolor, highlighting Gasparrini’s engagement with traditional printmaking processes alongside more experimental visual approaches. During the exhibition’s opening events, the artist also read selected passages from the accompanying text, offering visitors insight into the relationship between the written narrative and the visual compositions.
At the heart of Chromatic Variations of an Incredible Journey is an exploration of travel as both a physical and inner experience. Gasparrini’s work reflects on the landscapes of imagination and memory, using humor, vibrant color, and shifting visual forms to capture the unpredictable nature of a journey - whether across geography or within the self.
Throughout the series, the artist employs monotype printing and collage as creative devices that mirror the unfolding of the narrative. Each image represents a fragment of a larger story, inviting viewers to move between the literal and the symbolic.
One passage from the text captures the playful and imaginative tone of the work:
“Here they come, silent and faint enemies.
Missiles or squid? Fooled by their ambiguous appearance I’ve let them come too close… but now I can clearly see their pointy faces and their intention to bite…”
Gasparrini’s exhibition reflects the spirit of experimentation and interdisciplinary creativity that characterizes the Fine Arts program at AUR, where faculty artists continue to contribute actively to Rome’s vibrant cultural landscape while engaging students in contemporary artistic practice.