THE MADONNA ROOM

In this age of contradictions, mixed media artist Joan Di Lieto presents The Madonna Room, an immersive temple experience at Chinatown Soup that opens on the advent of the ancient Roman flower festival known as Floralia and runs through Mother's Day, May 9th.

Our Mother Goddess, an embodiment of love and forgiveness, becomes a Warrior suited for battle against misogyny, xenophobia, and bigotry. Forging ahead from the biologic to bioluminescence, the Divine Feminine is a deity found throughout civilizations across space and time. Exhibition visitors are invited to honor Her role in nurturing, supporting, and sustaining life. Expect to engage all six of your senses in this sacred space, where earthly delights meet celestial insights.

Born and raised in New York with studios also in Italy, Joan has been a painter for many years bridging both cultures into the texture of her work. With the roots of an islander, the sea is always present “as above, so below”.

Painting beauty, painting fiction, a mythological narrative emerges. Rich with the ancient art of storytelling, a cast of characters led by the divine feminine take us into their Byzantine world. Intrigue and identity converge with alchemy and transformation.

With a strong interest in engaging with the public, Joan has created site-specific projects with the Lower East Side Partnership’s #100gatesproject. Inspired by nature, the “Garden of Alchemy” and “Golden Nest” on Canal Street in Manhattan provide a respite from the hard edges of the city in the form of magical, metaphysical landscapes.

2014 brought the opportunity to transform a hospital space into a more nurturing environment called “Project Miele” based on the honeycomb and alchemy of light. The triptych is a permanent painting installation at the Hess Center for Science + Research, Tisch Cancer Center , Mt. Sinai Hospital, New York, NY.

Joan earned a BFA from the School of Visual Arts in 1985 and continued SVA Summer Graduate Studies in Urbino, Italy from 1986-1988. With strong ties to the School of Visual Arts, she headlined the "Art & Activism" yearly event bringing together the entities of the Hetrick-Martin Institute, Sing for Hope and SVA. In February of 2019, Joan was a participant in the Visiting Artist and Scholars Residency Program at the American Academy in Rome, Italy.