Malisa Catalani Italy, b. 1979

Malisa Catalani was born in Rome in 1978 and currently lives and works in Bologna.

The places where she has lived have profoundly influenced her artistic vision, particularly Spain, France, the United States, and Canada. She studied in Turin at IED, then moved to Valencia to continue her education in Design.

From 2010, she began her artistic career in Bologna. Her research took shape through close engagement with master artisans’ workshops, especially in Faenza, where she deepened her study of materials—particularly ceramics, as well as textiles, resin, and bronze. At the same time, she developed her knowledge of the Japanese art of Kintsugi. Catalani’s art is grounded in the idea that one’s inner light and strength can guide human beings toward rebirth. Scars thus become symbols of redemption and pride. One of her most recent bronze series, titled Butterfly, portrays proud women who take flight through their own wings, without the need to prove anything. 

In 2023, on the occasion of Art City Bologna, she create the site-specific event I corpi di Ellis at Villa Aldrovandi Mazzacorati, further developing her research into the relationship between artwork, space, and symbolic dimension. The following year, she participated again in the event with the solo exhibition Rebirth at Palazzo Vassè Pietramellara, presenting an immersive journey in dialogue with the historic architecture, centered on the theme of rebirth.