Biography
Former copywriter and creative director in advertising, Barbara Sbrocca began creating sculpture-paintings in 2001, thanks to her research on human psiche leading to the decade-long work of the psychiatrist Massimo Fagioli.
Sbrocca explores the world of non-conscious images, leaving a wide space to improvisation. This path often brings Sbrocca to the creation of works related to music especially jazz.
Hers three cover pictures for pianist composer Enrico Pieranunzi (Perugia suite, Trasnoche, Les Amants); her paintings are also on two albums by pianist and composer Stefania Tallini (Dreams, Maresìa).
Since March 2017, three new works "emerged" from the music of composer guitarist Stefano Calderano ("A un passo mi sfiori," "Mare inverso" and "Calderan Blu").
From 18 to 28 May 2002, at the Arte IN Association in Rome, she exhibites together with Enzo Gravante, Coralba Libra, and Patrizia Ricchiuti, with the patronage of the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, in a group exhibition named (for her part) “Le Linee di dentro (The lines of whithin)”.
From 21 to 28 September 2002 she exhibites with a solo named “Dimmi, senza parlare” in Rome at the Association Il pane e le Rose Art Space.
From 8th to 22nd March 2003 she exhibites together with Pier Paolo Parogni and Mario Antonio Pelosi, in Rome, at the GARD art gallery in the exhibition “Il segno e il Volume (The sign and the volume)”.
In 2007 she publishes with D’Arco Edizioni a book entitled “Umano come me (Human like me)”, an anthology of works and poems, accompanied by an exclusive CD by Stefania Tallini (piano) and Gabriele Mirabassi (clarinet).
The album, entitled “Pasodoble”, becomes the leitmotif of the show-event held at the Teatro Eliseo in Rome from December 9, 2007 to January 4, 2008. A video here.
At the inauguration on December 9, pianist and composer Stefania Tallini , in quartet with Gabriele Mirabassi, Nicola Angelucci and Gianluca Renzi, play exclusively for the artist the music from PASODOBLE.
On December 16th, composer Arturo Tallini and singer Marilena Paradisi present, within Sbrocca’s exhibition and exclusively for the artist, their concert-project “Intuendo. Trasformazioni per voce e chitarra. (Sensing, transformations for Voice and Guitar.”
From 2007 to 2012, Sbrocca works with Master Printer Antonio Sannino (Stamperia Nazionale Italiana Istituto centrale per la Grafica) and among other things she produces two limited editions prints of “Light” and “Pasodoble” in etching.
For more information on Master Sannino (R.I.P.) see this number of Sofa on page 69.
In 2007, director and writer Massimo D’orzi makes a short docu-film titled “Improvvisando. Suono-segno-attesa-materia (Improvising” sound-sign-waiting-matter) ” about the (apparently solitary but actually choral) genesis of Sbrocca’s work.
From January 29 to February 3, 2008 she participates in the collective “Art and Eros” at the III Millennium Art Gallery in Venice.
From 12 to 20 December 2009, on the invitation of Count Alessandro-Ferruccio Marcucci Pinoli of Valfesina, Nani for friends, Sbrocca exhibits with a solo titled “CLOSER, intimità di un’immagine (CLOSER, intimacy of an image)” at Alexander Museum Palace Hotel in Pesaro. At the inauguration, pianist and composer Stefania Tallini exclusively holds for the artist a solo piano concert.
In the issue # 50 of “Inside Art” monthly Art magazine, in January 2009, in the section entitled “Word of the Artist” an article by Barbara Sbrocca is titled “Nudo d’autore” from page 86.
On issue # 7 of February 2009 of the quarterly Sofa, a long interview with the artist signed by Maurizio Zuccari.
From October 2 to 9, 2010 she shows in the group exhibition “30×30 = 900 / Works by MostrArti” at MostrArti, curated by NWart and Antonella Campilongo.
From 8th to 11th April 2011 she participates in the collective “Women in the Arts” organized in Rome from the first Home Art Gallery “Artrom Network” (special guest Philippe Daverio).
Since 2013 she has a brand – Himbarossa – with which she signs jewelery in silver, murano glass beads (made by herself) and ebony.
In September 2016, at the invitation of the Soqquadro art association, she participates in the collective “Legàmi (Bonds)” at the International Women’s House, included in the AMACI Contemporary Day, an exhibition conceived for blind and visually impaired artists (and visitors). For the occasion, Sbrocca creates a work, titled “In ogni momento (At All Times)”, which also includes a braille sentence, drawn from a poem by the Psychiatrist Massimo Fagioli.
A picture here.
Between March and May 2017, she works on Monica Palladino‘s first book, named “Ondeia. Racconti d’acqua e di pesca: le voci della Costa Viola“. Sbrocca took care of the title, the concept, the complete layout, and all the drawings.
Since 2002 she is also creates interior design works: murals, doors, furniture (including cabinets, benches, dressers, lamps, etc.).
in 2017 Sbrocca had a solo show entititled “..A” (point point A), held in Rome at the Casa della Cultura.
In 2018 with the diptych "Dentro la notte che sogna" and "il Mago" she participated in the group show Per Appiam 2018 dedicated to "The giants of the mountain" by Luigi Pirandello. organized by the Onlus Ipazia Immaginepensiero.
In 2019 she joined the group show INSIEME, in Rome together with the artists of the Onlus Ipazia ImmaginePensiero, with the composition "3D Tango (slice of life)" 4 works on handmade Fabriano paper (by Sandro Tiberi)
Again in 2019, the catalog "A barefoot in art, the murals of Passoscuro" is released by the Isola delle Correnti Association. Presented at the MACRO museum in via Nizza on October 9th, the book tells the genesis of the project that saw the creation of dozens and dozens of murals in the village of Passoscuro. Sbrocca is present in the catalog with 2 murals.
In August 2019 Sbrocca exhibits with an instant show in Passoscuro (Fiumicino) in a solo exhibition entitled "Centrifugo - Centripeto" by the sea, at La lampara.
In 2020 she shows with a solo exhibition in Ostia for 10 days, in February. In June she launches the international Baci Sospesi project, with sculptures and audio interviews. A research on the man-woman relationship and on those transformative moments that derive from the relationship. The interviews are available here on this site under "bacisospesi" menu tab. The first installation, almost 3 meters high, is set on the seafront of Passoscuro, north of Rome.
A series of "home edition" #Bacisospesi sculptures was born since October 2020, all unique handmade wooden pieces.
In October 2020, Sbrocca organized and curated an Event called "Il mare in discesa" with the paintings of Quinto Tozzi and the poems of Silvia Luminati. Held in Passoscuro, the event lasted 2 weeks.
in 2021 Sbrocca is creating new sculptures, she is working to bring Baci Sospesi elsewhere in Italy and abroad, and she is working on a theatrical piece based on her Baci Sospesi experience.
NOTE: all works (sculpture-paintings, jewelery, furniture, etc.) are unique pieces.
