Warrior of compassion, Punta Valdes, Argentina, 2018

Veronica Barbatano  

Born in Rome in a multicultural family, an Eritrean father and an Italian mother in 1979, Veronica Barbatano started her career in the art world very early, at the age of 14 when she won the national competition organised by the Italian National Association for the Fight against HIV (ALA), receiving the 1st prize with honours, for graphic design. 

Her talent brought her to study at the Medal Art School in Rome, where she learned ancient techniques such as chiselling and wax modeling by Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571), and low relief. In 2001 she won the Sipleda Project, of the "I Miti di Firenze" contest and, in 2003, she was chosen to make the bronze plaque, bas-relief of the Centenary of the Italian Fencing Federation (CONI). 

In 2008 she created a line of artistic jewelry for her brand Veronica Barbatano JEWELRY that summarises all her artistic, stylistic and spiritual search. In 2011-2012 she did the graphic design and art direction of the books FEMME and Wild SOUTH by Argentine photographer Pablo Cersosimo, both books won the Ilusión del Ledesma Award (Argentina) for best printed book and best graphic design. 

In parallel, thanks to a restless character and a big will to discover the world, she built a long career first as a model for many international fashion brands (after a debut for Wolford and Fendi at the age of 15) and then also as actress in theatre, advertising, television and movies. 

All this creative energy, her sacrifices and her path would have not been possible without a research of soul elevation, in fact, since she was 19, her spiritual need for knowledge led her to study with a Western Esotericism teacher and discover Symbology and meditation, intersecting with the shamanism of the Inca lineage. 

She delved into the psychological and symbolic aspect of this tradition, developing a new vision of herself and the world and a strong interest in Tibetan philosophy and Yoga. At the age of 28, she moved to Argentina. Here she discovered psychoanalysis, experienced therapy and found new tools that she incorporates into her artistic vision. 

Veronica's artistic search points to self-knowledge through different techniques and elements. All of her artistic work is focused on opening a dialogue with the subconscious and the conscience, transforming her works into a window of the soul. 

She uses photography, acrylic painting, Chinese ink, body-painting, drawings to create a new multidimensional reality. She exhibited in Rome, Buenos Aires, where she lives and work, and in Miami.