Maria Lai

Maria Lai (1919-2013) was one of the most original and fascinating artists of the second half of the 20th century. As the protagonist of a unique artistic career, Maria Lai wove the threads of multiple human geographies where stories, those of infancy, universal ones, those of her native Sardinia and planetary ones are intertwined together into a single prodigious tale.
This monographic volume follows the stages of her extraordinary journey, from the beginnings at the start of the 1940s, with drawings and temperas dedicated to women's work, objects inspired by weaving (Blackboards, Sewn Books, Geographies), and on to the creation of Breads, Nativity Scenes and Canvases throughout the 1970s. Ample space is also given to her reflections starting from the 1980s, a period of great renewal that saw her focus on actions involving the public, with the creation of site-specific works, collective works, performances and works for the theatre. It is a tribute to an artist who succeeded in sewing a stratified and millenarian world into new scenarios, overcoming barriers and frontiers that are often nothing more than imaginary.