Caterina De Nisco: Abbecedario

19.3.–12.4.2026

My work has always revolved around language: whether I am illustrating a story,
translating ways of saying from languages that are not my own into images, or most
importantly, creating an illustrated alphabet. The latter is an ambitious project I have been working on since 2018, when I chose the letter “T” for an exhibition and the word to illustrate encapsulated everything: “T for Tutto” (Everything).

Abbecedario is a project with two works strongly connected to Ratamo. With the work Babel E-14 I participated in the Babel project organized at Galleria Ratamo in 2023 and the work R of Reality I made during the artist residency in autumn 2024.

Abbecedario. Yet Another Alphabet, the title of the project, is a complex initiative that
transcends the mere creation of individual works. It is not just another study of the
alphabet, but a conceptual journey exploring the connections between words, images, and meaning. 

Through illustration and, above all, printmaking, my projects intertwine into a research
process where I have played with words, breaking them down to their smallest unit: the
letter. This journey has also been a central theme of my academic research at the
Academy of Fine Arts of Carrara (Italy), where it was awarded Honorable Mention, the
right to publication, and was selected to represent the Academy at the National Arts
Award in 2021 and 2022.

The images created on the plates reflect universal themes reinterpreted beyond the simple meaning of the chosen words. Various printing techniques allow me to experiment with materials such as metal, paper, embossing, stencils, and inks—mediums that guide me on a journey through the world of letters. This process has given rise to works like H for Horror Vacui, L for Limite (Limit), and O for Occasioni (Opportunities), engaging in a
constant dialogue between the medium and the concepts I aim to express. These travels
are not only conceptual but also geographical.