The 360 Gallery in Florence is pleased to present ARTE DONNA, an exhibition dedicated to the talent and creativity of women artists. The inauguration will take place on the eve of March 8th, International Women’s Day, and the exhibition explores the role of the female figure in art through the works of contemporary artists. With their unique and innovative language, these artists challenge stereotypes and open new expressive horizons. ARTE DONNA will be open to visitors from March 7th to 30th, offering the public an opportunity to celebrate the female contribution to the history of art, which has often been overlooked. Indeed, women have always played a central role in art, depicted in various ways depending on the era and culture.
From the prehistoric Venus of Willendorf, a symbol of fertility, to Renaissance Madonnas, and the avant-garde movements of the 20th century, women have been muses, symbols of beauty, motherhood, sensuality, but also strength and rebellion. However, for centuries, women were denied access to artistic education and recognition in the art world, often remaining in the shadow of male artists.
During the Renaissance, art was dominated by men, and few women managed to emerge. It was in the early 1600s that Artemisia Gentileschi stood out—a groundbreaking painter and a symbol of extraordinary talent and determination. In an era when women were excluded from academies and often limited to painting “feminine” subjects such as still lifes and portraits, Artemisia asserted herself with works of profound dramatic and narrative impact.
In the 19th century, with changing social structures and the rise of feminist movements, women artists began to gain greater visibility. Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt were among the few women to be part of the Impressionist movement, offering a sensitive perspective on women’s daily lives. In the 20th century, Frida Kahlo made her body and personal experience the core of her art, transforming pain and suffering into powerful and revolutionary images.
The 20th and 21st centuries have seen a growing number of women artists emerge with innovative styles and languages. From Marina Abramović, a pioneer of performance art, to Cindy Sherman, who has explored identity and the role of women in society through her self-portraits, women artists have redefined the artistic landscape, breaking stereotypes and conquering previously inaccessible spaces.
Today, women are present in every field of art—from painting to sculpture, photography to installation—reclaiming a role that has too often been denied. Curator Angela Fagu will highlight these achievements, presenting a dialogue between artists who reflect on their role and that of art, as well as on the female figure: no longer just an object of representation but an active subject and protagonist.
The opening evening will feature the participation of art critic and historian Daniele Franchi, who will introduce the works in the gallery and share with the audience the stories and inspirations behind them.
The event will also include refreshments and a live musical performance, creating a welcoming and stimulating atmosphere. The 360 Gallery continues to be a meeting place and cultural hub, where contemporary art finds the ideal stage to express itself and interact with the public.
– Judith Stone is an American artist known for her work on paper with mixed techniques, primarily graphite drawing. Born in Boston and raised in New York, she studied literature at Vassar College and earned a Master’s degree at Harvard before dedicating herself to art. She obtained a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Colorado in Boulder. Her work explores architecture, urban transformation, memory,and the transitional phases of the built environment, often integrating photographs and transparent materials such as plexiglass. She has lived and taught in various cities, including Tokyo, Philadelphia, and Burlington, and has traveled extensively throughout Europe, Israel, and Japan. Alongside her artistic career, Judith has taught American and British literature, as well as art, design, and architectural history at various universities in the United States and abroad. This passion for travel has become a life experience that has enriched her artistic perspective and influenced the themes of her works. Her works are part of public and private collections in the United States and Japan. She has been an artist-in-residence at the MacDowell Colony and is featured in publications such as Who’s Who in American Art and Who’s Who in American Women.
– Angela Thouless is a Scottish artist and designer who graduated in Painting from Gray’s School of Art in 1999, followed by a Master’s degree in Art and Design in 2000. Her work is inspired by urban environments and the street art of European cities, with a particular focus on textures, patterns, and the surfaces of city life.
In 2012, during a trip to Amsterdam, Angela developed a passion for urban art, fascinated by the spontaneous and transient nature of street art and its multicultural essence. This experience profoundly influenced her artistic production.One of her most well-known series is the Spray Can Tribal Masks, where she combines elements of street art with the traditional aesthetics of tribal masks, using recycled spray cans as her canvas. This series celebrates cultural diversity and promotes a sense of unity, emphasizing that despite our differences, we all belong to one human “tribe.” In 2019, Angela launched the unisex t-shirt brand Tribe All, featuring her artwork inspired by tribal masks. As a designer, she has participated in events such as Aberdeen and Milan Fashion Week.
Her creations have been featured in magazines like Elle Decoration, Red, and House & Garden, while her t-shirts have appeared in GQ, Wired, Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire, Elle, Cosmopolitan, and Vogue. Angela has exhibited her works in the UK, Europe, and North America, continuing to explore and celebrate cultural diversity through art and design.
– Inga Ryan is an Irish artist with a great passion for the Italian language and culture. After participating in numerous group exhibitions, she held her first solo show in 2023, achieving tremendous success. Specializing in still life and landscapes, Inga is currently fascinated by the theme of people in water, exploring their movement and dynamics in a unique and engaging way.
Her work is a celebration of life and an exploration of color and movement. Through the Under Water series, inspired by The Swimming Pool by Henri Matisse, she captures ambiguous moments filled with emotional tension. Viewers become voyeurs of enigmatic scenes where love and fear, fragility and strength, playfulness and threat merge.
The artist seeks an engaging connection with the audience through her iconic artistic journey, which explores an obvious yet unusual dimension, continuing to transform immaterial experiences into works of powerful visual impact.
– Cristina Maria Savin (b. 1989, Salonta, Romania) is a visionary painter whose work merges symbolism, surrealism, and a profound exploration of the psyche. A graduate of the Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice, she delves into the unseen forces shaping existence, weaving ancestral forms, anthropomorphic figures, and vibrant chromatic contrasts into dynamic, dreamlike compositions. Her art is a sensory journey, where emotion flows freely across the canvas, transcending traditional figuration to reveal the rhythmic pulse of life itself. Shapes twist, dissolve, and regenerate, embodying the eternal cycles of nature, memory, and the subconscious. With a technique marked by fluid brushstrokes and luminous transparency, she crafts a visual language that blurs rationality and instinct, immersing the viewer in boundless spaces of contemplation. Through exhibitions like Cyclic Genesis, Savin introduces a deeply personal yet universal narrative, inviting us to explore the intangible, to glimpse beyond the visible, and to connect with the profound mysteries of existence.
