Biography

"My earliest memories are those of awakenings during nights which were interrupted by wailing sirens, followed by the rush in the dark towards crowded shelters lit by gas lamps.
Later, I remember life in the country. I remember how my cousins and I crowded together at a mullioned window of the Renaissance villa from which my family had been evacuated, watching smoke from the bombing that at Epiphany one year, had slightly damaged Lucca. I remember my beautiful, young mother spending her days anxiously looking for food, maize and chestnut flour polenta, and a mixture called ‘La Vecchina’ which when carefully blended with chicory, produced a drink which vaguely tasted like coffee. I never tasted it because I was too young, but this all remains in my memory.

My father decided I should attend an art school, partially because he thought I had the right skills and necessary interest, but mostly because being a woman, he thought this type of study was more than enough, and that above all, it would not interfere with the career he wanted for his only son. So, I attended the A. Passaglia Art Institute in Lucca, where I did very well (I got my diploma in Chiavari); after that, I was sent to Florence to conclude my studies at the Fine Art Academy where I signed up for stage design.
In Florence, the tiny streets echoed from the bustle of family life like the streets of all Medieval cities in central Italy, but Florence had at the same time superb reminders of its past, having been a capital city. Also all the people were Tuscans, the city didn’t hide the open-mindedness which was very different from the lifestyle in Lucca.
It was there that I met the boy who I later married. He was a student at the Agricultural Collage, specialising in tropical farming and he came from Somalia. We went to Somalia when it gained its Independence and when he was sent for to take up a post in a distant village called Jontoi.

We lived beside the River Giuba in a totally isolated house which had once been the house of the first mission in East Africa (a Swedish mission), and had then been converted into a hunting lodge for Prince Umberto of Savoy and finally had become the agricultural department.
My son Liban was born in that house while I was coming and going trying to complete my course which I had been halfway through when I had left Italy.
Later on, I went to Mogadishu where I taught at the Italian School, and also in Somali secondary schools. At the same time, I had taken on a job which had been given to me by the President of the Republic where I was responsible for the interior decoration of the state apartments, organising functions and painting murals, I also designed several series of stamps for Somalia. I took a close interest in local politics and became friends with the first President of the Somali Republic who was later Vice President of the Islamic Conquest. From him I learned a lot about life and a little knowledge of the Koran. I also worked with the second President, Abdiraschid Ali Scermache who had a high esteem of me.

Abdiraschid was assassinated after only one year as the President. It was the beginning of the tragedy in Somalia. After the revolution, I was offered a job by Siad Barre, but I never did work for him. In fact, it was then that I left Somalia somewhat against my will.
When I was back in Italy with my son, I took up teaching again and it was at the A. Passaglia Art School that I was in charge of the Wall Decoration Studies department. I finished my teaching career as head art teacher at the Liceo Artistico. Today, I am happy to say that teaching is behind me and I can paint all day long.
Even before I came back to Italy for good, I had enrolled in the Literature and Philosophy faculty at the University of Pisa, the school of Medieval and Modern Art Historians, which trained art curators – Carlo Ludovico Ragghianti was the director. I finished there in 1973, at which time I had begun to exhibit my paintings in Italy.
I worked for thirteen years taking part only in group shows, most of them organised by Pier Carlo Santini, who had generously included me in the group of artists to whom he gave his time, affection and care. I am proud to say that I was the only woman so honoured by that lovable and uncompromising critic. It was during this time, thanks to the printer Giuliano Angeli, that I learnt the difficult technique of making lithographs, by printing on stone.

In the second half of the 1980’s, completely by chance, I began designed decorations for China, working with Bavarian China, and usually in Germany for the “ Nuovi Segni”, China which was executed in most part by Selthman of Waiden. My work in this area has been displayed in prestigious shop windows, both in Italy and abroad, from Harrods in England to El Corte Inglese in Spain, as well as breaking into often difficult markets, such as France and Germany. It has been a very rewarding experience.
In the 1990’s, I was invited to hold and exhibition at “Casa Cini”, Fondazione Cini of Ferarra – after that, I started travelling around the world. I had the opportunity to come across Portals Art Gallery of Chicago during the art exhibition in Miami, with which I began to work with, thanks to the kind owners Nancy and William Mac Ilvaine. I have periodically stayed in New York, and on those occasions I have dealt with many galleries and met some of the most famous people in the world of art.

I am not sure whether I will hold personal exhibitions on a regular basis one again, but I am certain that I will continue to work under the circumstances I am faced with from time to time, not necessarily “sensible ones” or “healthy customs”, pre-arranged before-hand and almost always suitable for the occasion, which have never been my case anyway, but those for which my emotions will dictate to me.
I have learnt an extraordinary lesson from the modest school where I was sent to by my father and also from the remarkable teachers; I have learnt to look at things from well beyond the usual customs, however, whatever idea comes to my mind it will always be related to my paintings, therefore, I will continue to paint as I’ve done until now, and as I’ve done until now, I will simply continue to live on my paintings."

Maria Stuarda Varetti - 2003

Selected Solo Exhibitions:
1971                Galleria LaLinea, Ferarra
1972                Galleria Malpighi, Bologna
1973                Galleria Santa Croce, Lucca
                        Galleria La Cupola, Montecatini
1974                Maria Stuarda Varetti, Pittore, Galleria Gian Ferrari, Milano
                        Galleria Santa Croce, Lucca
                        Galleria Blue chips, Lucca
                        Galleria Art Club, Azenda Autonoma di Soggiorno e Turismo, Marina di Carrara
1976                Centro Culturale, ‘Giovanni Taddio’, Pieve di Centro, Bologna
                        Galleria Blue Chip, Lucca
                        Capannori, la tradizione di un territorio. Capannori
                        Centro Turistico ‘Il Cicco’, Barge, Lucca
1977                Galleria le Chiavi d’Oro, Montecatini Terme, Pistoia
1978                Strumenti della Civilità Contadina in Toscana, Blue Chips Gallery, Lucca
1982                Galleria il Bisonte, Firenze
1986                4 Ville Lucchesi, L’Incontro, Lucca
1988                ExpoArte, Galleria Guerrieri, Bari
1993                Incontri del Mercenate, Varetti, Lucca
1996                Casa Cini, Ferrara
1998                Portals Gallery, Chicago
2001                Lecturae. Arte attorno al libro, Palazzo Castelli ex Banca Italia, Carrara
2003                Art Gallery Vieleers, Amsterdam
                        Vinarte, Catherine Wandanne, Monte Carlo
2007                Summer Exhibition, FarmiloFiumano Gallery, London
                        Animali nel paesaggio lucchese, Fiumano Fine Art, London

From 1987 – 1992 Varetti’s works were shown in Japan through the Galleria Forni of Bologna.
From 1988 – 1997 Varetti carried out several projects working on porcelain, Nuovi Segni’, produced by the Bavarian company Seltham di Waiden. Examples of which were sold at Harrods, London.