ABOUT

My name is Katiuscia Lanza, and I am a first-generation Italian-American artist from Rochester, NY. I am an artist and art educator.

Creating art is so much more than creating a piece of work to admire aesthetically. It has always been important for me to feel a connection with a piece of my work. I must believe in the subject matter, the idea, or the story. The art-making process is also just as important as the final product. It allows for moments of self-discovery, creative exploration, and critical thinking. My work allows me to share my feelings about something, or someone in a way I could never do with words. Creating artwork allows me to speak freely while remaining silent. The paint is my language, where I can express visually all that fills my mind, and lies within my soul.

For the last decade, my inspiration for my work has been my ancestors, spirituality, and my Italian heritage. This series of landscapes, portraits, and memento mori has given me a chance to feel connected to those I never knew or those who I have lost along the way. Throughout my travels to Italy, visiting family, ancestral homes, and castles, the core of my being was touched in a way that I could not explain. With each new place I discovered, I was overwhelmed with emotion, whether it was the ruins of the San Salvatore church in Pianella or the mountains of Lake Como. I was enchanted by the richness of what Italy had to give and I wanted to capture those feelings in my work. I feel spiritually connected and attached to my pieces. As if the artworks themselves are a portal to a memory, a place, or a loved one.