Born in Caracas in 2004 and of Italian-Venezuelan heritage, Marina is currently pursuing her degree at AUR, where she is developing a distinctive visual language that bridges modernist influences with deeply personal thematic explorations. Her latest body of work, presented in "Synesthesia. Color – Person," reflects this unique synthesis of theory, emotion, and color.
The exhibition comprises a striking series of twelve paintings that delve into the phenomenon of synesthesia - the neurological condition in which stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to involuntary experiences in another. Inspired by the pioneering theories of abstract master Vasily Kandinsky, Marina portrays six individuals - five close acquaintances and herself - through paired works: each realistic portrait is accompanied by an abstract composition of color and form, representing how she perceives the person’s inner world and personality.
[Pictured: Marina Mattei meeting the Venezuelan Minister for Culture, who introduced the exhibition]
At the heart of Marina’s artistic process lies an intuitive but rigorously researched system of color psychology. Drawing upon the writings of Kandinsky, Barnett Newman, and contemporary scholars such as Professor Fiona Newell of Trinity College Dublin, Marina translates the traits of her subjects into vivid chromatic expressions: yellow denotes eccentricity and extroversion, blue represents calm and spiritual depth, while red pulses with vitality and emotional intensity.
This solo exhibition marks a major milestone in Marina’s artistic journey and underscores the caliber of creative talent nurtured at AUR. Her work pays homage not only to European abstractionists like Kandinsky and Miró but also to Venezuelan masters such as Carlos Cruz-Diez and Juvenal Ravelo, bridging continents and artistic traditions in a compelling, contemporary voice.
AUR congratulates Marina on this remarkable accomplishment - an affirmation of her creative vision, academic rigor, and the power of art to connect across senses, cultures, and people.
[Pictured: Scenes from the exhibition]