11.01. - 03.02.2024

Galerija "Māksla XO"

Elizabetes iela 14, Rīga, LV 1010

LUCIANA MARIANO

Finding Home

“Finding home. It is a long way. Not an easy one. But it is possible. Finding home is a process that takes time and demands faith, patience, and love. Finding home is learning to belong. It is not a house, a place, or a situation; it’s a feeling. Persistence is a key that opens many doors and brings peace” - Luciana Mariano.
Luciana Mariano’s solo exhibition “Finding Home” is the second exhibition of the Brazilian painter at the Māksla XO Gallery in Riga. The paintings delve into themes of immigration and various forms of rupture, depicting the challenges and endeavours associated with starting anew and discovering a sense of home and belonging.
“The series “Finding Home” describes how difficult it is to pack your life, keep your treasures, and hold on to your memories when you choose or have to start your life in a new place. The paintings represent the psychological difficulties of reaching out of your social limitations and boundaries, coming out of your comfort zone and exposing yourself to a new society. Finding a home is more than a physical relocation - it’s an emotional journey. Unpacking baggage, navigating bureaucracy, and dealing with the fear of losing identity make the process challenging. It induces a sense of vertigo, yet building new memories and embracing kindness bridge the emotional distance. While the past lingers, finding comfort in the present demands persistence, faith, patience, and love. Home is not just a place; it’s a feeling - a gradual process of learning to belong”˗ Luciana Mariano, 2024.
The 12 paintings from the series “Finding Home” were created during Luciana Mariano’s residency at the Serlachius Museum, Mänttä-Vilppula, Finland, in 2023. Simultaneously with the personal exhibition “Finding Home” in Riga, from January 16, 2024, Luciana Mariano’ solo show “Foreign Colours” will be displayed at the Jakobi Gallery, Tartu, Estonia.

Distance between Doors. 2023, acrylic on canvas, 60x90 cm

 “The 7th work of the series “Finding Home” is about the difficulty of going from one place to the other, even after you relocate. The paths may seem easy, but nothing is easy when you feel vulnerable and weakened. The doors are in the same room, but the simple way from one to the other can make you feel afraid and represent dangers that your mind knows way too well to ignore. Mental health plays a crucial role in it. The decision to start a new life is filled with fears and insecurities. It takes a lot of courage not only to dare to leave but to arrive and deliberately choose the best possible path for yourself. Bringing in the good memories and allowing new friends into your life helps keep the ghosts of the past at a safe distance. It is not easy to decide and choose to be happy, leaving behind all the rubble, wounds and bruises, but it is necessary despite the impossibilities. And it’s worth it, despite the herculean efforts. I am grateful to the friends who helped me build new memories, ease my fears, and create safer shelters with wider, more beautiful windows and views” - Luciana Mariano.

“Luciana Mariano’s works seem to offer glimpses into doll houses. In the centre of the room, there is always a set table, two chairs and behind them, a window that cuts out parts of the outside world for the viewers of the scene. The walls are painted yellow, red or blue, and a positive, playful mood prevails in colour. But the first impression is deceptive. As often, the devil is in the details; the threat lies hidden or, more appropriate here, behind the facade.” (POSITIONS Berlin Art Fair 2023)

Luciana Mariano is a Brazilian painter, the third generation of naïve artists in her Italian-Portuguese family. For the last 14 years, she has participated in international museum and gallery exhibitions and projects dedicated to naïve art.
Luciana Mariano (1971) was born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil. Currently she lives and works in Pirkkala, Finland. Since 2008 she has participated in 36 group exhibitions and arranged 14 solo shows worldwide. Luciana Mariano was chosen as the naïve art representative for the 2010 Cow Parade in São Paulo, Brazil; in 2012, she created the “The World is our Home” mural in Wembley, UK, commissioned by Seneca Project.
Works are in public collections: MIMAN-Museu Internacional de Miniatures de Arte Naif (Paraty-Rio de Janero, Brazil), MIAN-Museu Internacional de Arte Naif (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), Museu de Arte de Batatais (Batatais-San Paulo, Brazil), Museu do Sol (Penápolis-Sao Paulo, Brazil), Musée d'Art Spontané (Brussels, Belgium), Bulgarian Naif Museum (Sofia, Bulgaria), Castle Lysice Collection (Lysice, Czech Republic).