Kathy Toma Biography

Kathy Toma’s Biography
Kathy Toma lives and works in Paris. Since her childhood she has dedicated herself to painting while
completing university degrees in French Literature and Art History (B.A. in Modern French Literature
and Art History at the University of Strasbourg; Ph.D. in Art History at the Sorbonne University, Paris)
and theater and music studies at the Conservatory of Strasbourg.
Her pictorial language is the synthesis of a semi-figurative language and Body Art: rooted in myth and
memory, it brings into play different media that incorporate into classical painting Super 8 film,
photography, video, manipulation and transformation of “lost-and-found objects” in sculptures,
jewelry, and artist books. Her artistic production encompasses the monumental fresco, small
scenographies, and the Teatro d’Artista and Show/Performance. Her work often develops in thematic
cycles that involve an identification process: (Eros/Thanatos; Eurydice; Narcissus; The Lady and the
Unicorn; Heloise and Abelard; Saint George and the Princess; The Dioscuri; The Angels of the
Annunciations; The Musicians of Gesualdo), sometimes with the staging of her own body.
For more than twenty years she has devoted herself to a work of creation and research on the
composer Carlo Gesualdo, a contribution that elevates the theme of the Prince of Venosa to mythic
proportions, with the 2002 production of paintings for the Arch of the Church of the Addolorata in
the city of Gesualdo and the publication of the book Gesualdo da Venosa Fasti dimenticati di un
Principe del Rinascimento (Ed. De Venezia, Salerno, 2009) in collaboration with Orsola Fraternali.
The artist is also committed to didactic and research activity as a participant in conferences and
publications (Lecturer at the Centre National d’Art et de Culture Georges Pompidou, Paris, 19772009; Art History Courses and Workshops in Visual Arts, Université Abou Bekr Belkaid, Tlemcen,
Algeria; Art History Courses, Centre Culturel Jean Arp, Clamart).
Publications:
Essendoti Sposa Devotissima ..., Artist book with author illustrations (2008)
Una Principessa d’Este dimenticata dalla storia, Il Madrigale, ed. Speciale V, pp. 30-31, 2008
Ricerca di una musica al di là del suono, Il Madrigale, Suppl. Economia 2000, Atripalda, July 2, 2005
La tête de feuilles gothique, l’Information d’Histoire de l’Art, n° 4, pp. 180-191, Ed. Baillère, Paris,
1975
Lectures—Colloquia:
Esiste “L’Arte delle Donne”? Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Ferrara (2014)
Poichè sibbene sono bruttissima -Diario immaginario di Leonora d’Este, Principessa di Venosa,
Festival Gesualdo, Milan (2013)
A Casa di Gesualdo, Pinacoteca nazionale, Palazzo dei Diamanti, Ferrara (2013)
The Expression of Pain in Art: Carlo Gesualdo “Musicorum Princeps - Doloris Princeps”, Naples Pain
Conference, Pio Monte della Misericordia, Naples (2010)
Leonora d’Este, una principessa dimenticata dalla Storia, Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Krakow (2009)
Gesualdo e Ferrara due città un solo principe, Ferrara (2008)
Catalogue Collaborations:
«Supports/Surfaces», Centre National d’Art et de Culture Georges Pompidou, Paris (1998)
Utopia of Luca Ronconi, Translation of play (Paris, 1975)
Translation (French/Italian) of diverse art catalogues
Exhibitions (A Selection) :
2011: Secrets d’alcôve, Nuit Blanche, Paris. 2009: A nous la mairie, Nuit Blanche, Paris. 2008: Voiles,
Nuit Blanche, Paris. 2006: Mosaïques, Nuit Blanche, Paris; Labirinto, Mito, Edificio, Danza,
Sant’Agostino (Ferrara). 2005: Kathy Toma Art Total, La Rotonde, Paris. 2004: Enfer ou Ciel,
qu'importe! PAC, Palazzo Massari, Ferrara. 2003: Identités plurielles, l'Art sacré dans l'art
contemporain, La Rotonde, Paris. 2002: Dipinti monumentali della volta della Chiesa dell’Addolorata,
Gesualdo (Italy). 2001-2: Spectacolo/Concerto Hommage à Gesualdo, Avellino, Naples, Gesualdo,
(Italy). 2001: Carlo Gesualdo, Musicorum Princeps, Museo Irpino, Avellino, (Italy). 2000: Carlo
Gesualdo, Musicorum Princeps, Institut Français de Naples. 1999: Le Mythe Retrouvé, Maison de la
Grèce, Paris. 1997: Hommage à Pisanello, Banca Popolare di Milano, Florence (Italy). 1996: Corps du
Mythe, Galerie Espace Suisse, Strasbourg. 1995: Viaggio con l'ombra, Centro Di, Florence (Italy).
1991: Hommage à Gesualdo (L'Art dans tous ses Etats), Église des Dominicains, Guebwiller. 1990:
Trames Iconiques d'une Résurrection (Hommage à Gesualdo), Gargilesse. 1985: De la Dame....à la
Licorne, E.N.A.D, Aubusson. 1984: Oggetto d'Amore - Héloïse et Abélard, Castel dell’Ovo, Naples
(Italy). 1983: Empreintes Retrouvées: le Mystère de la Dame à la Licorne, Le Globe, Nantes; La Trame
du Sixième Sens ou le Mystère de la Dame à la Licorne, Lille; Winterreise II (performance) Musée des
Beaux Arts, Valence. 1982: Expo Art, Bari (Italy). 1981: Eros et Thanatos II, (performance) Teatro
Metastasio, Prato (Italy); Narciso .... Narciso, (Théâtre d’Artiste) Firenze Estate, Florence (Italy);
Narciso II, (Théâtre d’Artiste) Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; Winterreise, (performance) Galleria Il
Mercante, Milan (Italy). 1980: Eros et Thanatos I, (performance) Biennale de Paris, Musée d'Art
Moderne de la Ville de Paris; Espaces Libres, A.R.C, Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (video).
1979: Galleria Inquadrature 33, (exhibition and performance) Florence (Italy); La Quête d'Eurydice,
(performance) Le Lieu Dit, Paris.
Artist’s Films & Videos:
Visage Vitre, 1979; Eros Thanatos, 1979; In morte di Euridice, 1979; Trames Iconiques d’une
Résurrection, 1990; Le Retable du Prince de Venosa, 2002
Website: www.kathy-toma.com