Alessandra Sicuro is an Italian artist based in Hellerup, Denmark. Her practice is a dialogue between the past and the present, blending elements of art history, mythology, and classical literature and poetry with contemporary issues and personal narrative.

With a deep academic foundation in the humanities, Alessandra’s work transcends simple representation; she "weaves" stories of transformation and movement across painting, drawing, and illustration.

She is an active member of U.K.K. (Organisation for Artists, Curators, and Art Mediators), IMMART, Kunst2100, and the Società Dante Alighieri (Board member).

Alessandra Sicuro is an Italian visual artist living and working in Copenhagen. She has attended various courses in painting, graphics, drawing, and illustration (notably at Holbæk Kunsthøjskole and Central Saint Martins in London). She regularly exhibits in her adopted country of Denmark, showing work in her Copenhagen studio as well as through the artistic associations of various institutions, including the World Health Organization, Novo Nordisk, and Multidata. Her work has been featured by both private and public organizations and in international exhibitions such as Zonta, Kulturkajen Docken, Artival Festival, and Art Nordic. She is a member of Kunst2100, Immart, and other local artistic groups.

Born in Puglia, you studied in Bologna and now live in Denmark. How are these phases of your life reflected in your artistic path? The biographical element is always there, implicitly or explicitly, in the works of those who process art. It is the same for me.

Painting and storytelling: What role do they play in your life? How do these two arts combine in your work? Storytelling is an essential part of my work. Inspiration comes from fairy tales, votive art, folk art, or the Commedia dell’Arte—enchanting and complex forms of expression capable of conveying universal and profound languages with a certain lightness.

In both your paintings and drawings, subjects such as Adam and Eve, lions, shoes, and books frequently appear. Can you tell us about your artistic alphabet? Certain figures recur in my work. A cup, a coffeepot, or a chair recalls everyday life and family rituals. A set table, for example, has a strong symbolic connotation, almost like a temple—yet it remains a simple set table. The eye moves from the earth to the sky and vice versa.

Adam and Eve, the archetypal man and woman, evoke the condition of innocence or illusion before and after the Expulsion from Eden. Throughout history, this mythical event has often been represented by associating guilt with femininity.

Books, for me, are signs of belonging, memory, and the preservation of culture; in a way, they are a warning. On the other hand, they are also "books of life"—the precious paths traced by each individual existence. Some angels fly, some figures move with raised arms, and wild cats wander next to unconscious crowds. The “good” reality that I paint embraces its otherness; there is room for joy, courage, stupidity, and spirituality.

What educational or artistic experiences have most influenced your work? What are your main sources of inspiration? I grew up in a family where art was appreciated, and I have always been interested in fairy tales and myths. My home region, Salento—with its bare rock, dry-stone walls, angels, saints, and the fantastic shapes of Lecce Baroque—familiarized me with fantasy and drama.

While enrolled in Drama, Art, and Music studies at Bologna University, I experienced the creative turmoil of 1980s Bologna. There was "fantasy in power," music, and satirical reviews (such as Il Male and Frigidaire). Generally, my humanistic background in the sociology of art and theater formed me. Later, I approached European figurative art, an endless source of inspiration. I love the Middle Ages for the importance given to symbols and the clarity with which good is distinguished from evil. I am also drawn to the bizarre perspectives of Mannerism, the dynamism of the Baroque, and the energy of folk and contemporary art.

Where do your works come from, how do they develop, and why? Art offers a fantastic premise for research. In my case, a painting begins around words or images—a biography, a photo, or a classical verse. This leads to exploring collective cultural elements and placing them, sometimes joyfully, into incongruous contexts. Petrarch dialogues with an imaginary second girlfriend; a fork in a yellow room thinks about Lautrec or the Borgia family; a giant watering can stands next to a solitary Danish isle. Mixing ancient symbols with current data is not escapism, but a form of investigation. Art cites, remembers, and asks questions about our collective accumulation of experiences.

Is there a guiding principle that characterizes your artistic production? Searching, understanding, processing.

What are you working on now? Can you tell us about your upcoming projects? On the 4th and 5th of December, I will participate in the annual exhibition at Docken in Nordhavn. On the weekend of November 19th, I will hold an open atelier at my studio in Århusgade, Østerbro. In March 2022, I will be exhibiting at Musicon in Roskilde. Additionally, I am interested in illustration; I am currently working on an adventure for children and some sketches for graphic novels.

Varka Kozlovic, originally from Slovenia, currently resides in Copenhagen. She is an artist and a member of K.K.S (the Danish Women’s Artist Association).

INTEGRITY, CURIOSITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS

Published by APULIART-2016.

Alessandra Sicuro is a visual artist living and working between Copenhagen, where she currently resides, and Salento, Apulia.

Alessandra studied languages and literature at the universities of Bologna and Milan. After moving to Denmark, she attended various courses in painting, drawing, and ceramics. In addition, she continues to teach language at Studieskolen and through her own company, Italiaviva.

Since 2006, she has regularly exhibited in her Copenhagen studio and for the artistic associations of various institutions, including the World Health Organization (WHO), Novo Nordisk, Byretten, and Multidata. She has also participated in several art fairs, such as Zonta, Kulturkajen Docken, Artival Festival, and Art Nordic.

"My sources of inspiration are fables and myths, seen as archetypes of human behavior, and cultural heritage: for instance, Roman mosaics, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the art of the eighteenth century, as well as literature and poetry, which I often quote."

Alessandra Sicuro’s art reflects her origins and what she learns on a daily basis, not only from Scandinavian culture but also from other traditions. In Denmark, she encountered Nordic “cold” colors and atmospheres (Hammershøj, Ring, Zahrtmann, and 1950s design).

"It was a sort of sobriety with implicit religious and cultural connotations… such a stark contrast to my Catholic Southern background, which is characterized by bright colors, contradictions, drama, guilt, and indulgence."

Her background—comprising Byzantine and Baroque features, as well as the colors and scents of Salento—is challenged by Scandinavian cultural sobriety and her travels outside Europe. This contrast generates a creative, flowing threshold: her original art.

Alessandra Sicuro grew up in a house with walls frescoed by her grandfather and with a deep love for art: discussions, paintings, and a collection of books observed with extreme, endless attention. For Alessandra, painting is a wonderful journey of reflection and discovery of the past. Alongside formal, expressive, and cultural issues, her deliberate approach is defined by a sort of conscious naivete.

"My research and interest in Art History are deeply intertwined with my creative practice. Through these lectures, I explore the narratives, myths, and social themes that continue to inspire my visual storytelling."

• 2026: Women in Italian Art – Creators, Muses, and Rebels Studieskolen, Copenhagen.
• 2025: Caravaggio’s Extraordinary Life and Art Studieskolen, Copenhagen.
• 2023: The Italian Avant-Garde in the Early 20th Century Studieskolen, Copenhagen.
• 2023: Il Buon Gusto – The Meaning of "Good Taste" Studieskolen, Copenhagen.
• 2021: Salento and Apulia: One History, a Mysterious Dance, and a Thousand Tales From the Middle Ages to the 19th Century. Studieskolen, Copenhagen.
• 2019: Salento (Apulia): Prehistory, History, Traditions, Gastronomy, and Culture. Studieskolen, Copenhagen.
• 2019: Female Portraits in Italian Art History from the 15th to the 20th Century Studieskolen, Copenhagen.
• 2018: Food and Narrative through Italian Art History An analysis of the symbolic, psychological, and social value of food. From Caravaggio’s Fruit Basket to Carracci’s The Bean Eater. Studieskolen, Copenhagen.
• 2017: Women, Nudity, and Jewelry: Selected Female Portraits in Italian Art History Studieskolen, Copenhagen.
• 2016: The Slap and the Caress: Female Voices in Painting from the Renaissance to the Baroque Italian Cultural Institute / Società Dante Alighieri, Copenhagen.
• 2016: Who are the Italians? A Portrait of Modern-Day Italy Copenhagen Business School (CBS).
• 2016: Women’s Literature: Margaret Mazzantini and Others Voices and faces of Italian female narrative. Italian Cultural Institute / Dante Alighieri / COMITES, Copenhagen.
• 2004: L’Altra Italia (The Other Italy) SILFI Conference (International Society of Italian Linguistics and Philology). Copenhagen Business School (CBS), Copenhagen.
• 1996: Pier Paolo Pasolini and the Decameron Italian Cultural Institute, Copenhagen.