7 Days - 7 Women: The Art of Antonella Cappuccio

The final day of our week-long series, 7 Days - 7 Women brings us to visual artist, Antonella Cappuccio.

Have you ever had the experience of meeting someone briefly, and they made such an impression on you that for years later, you still think about them? Well I had that experience with a beautiful artist, inside and out, named Antonella Cappuccio. Her art was exhibited in 2009 at The Knights of Columbus Museum in Conneticut. I had received the invitation, and proceeded to do some research to see if it was worth making the 8-hour roadtrip from Upstate New York. Through my research, I discovered she was the mother of two of my favorite filmmakers, Silvio and Gabriele Muccino. So, I had to go, if only to meet their mother.

When I arrived, I met the artist, a lovely, warm woman who really did seem like a mom. She had a very down-to-earth, humble quality as she answered my questions and posed for pictures with me. She is soft-spoken and attentive; someone you can really talk to. She makes you feel like you've known her for years. So when I saw her work, I was totally blown away. Her art is huge, loud and emotional. It's filled with rich colors and characters that appear to look right through your soul. Some pieces are simple and contemporary while others are detailed with echos of Botticelli. No two pieces are alike. She is renowned for her papal portraits and has been commissioned to created these divine, larger-than-life works of modern day pontiffs.

Cappuccio's Exhibit at the Nights of Columbus Museum

Antonella Cappuccio was born on the beautiful island of Ischia near Naples. However, she says that she was born twice. The second time being while she studied art and design with costume designers, Maria Baronj and Dario Cecchi. Under their direction and influence, Cappuccio laid the foundation to become the talented artist she is today. It was a step-by-step process that took her from movie sets to the stage to the art studio.

Despite the unfortunate rift between Silvio and Gabriele, you cannot deny the talent of the two brothers, whether they are working together or independently. They are deeply gifted artists and storytellers whose work I've admired and written about for years. Meeting their mother made it all come full-circle for me, and it's an experience that I'm grateful to have had and that I will never forget.

For more information about Antonella Cappuccio, visit her online at www.antonellacappuccio.net.