About
Photograph portrait by Olga Antipina
Born in Rome, Italy. Currently living and working in Brooklyn, New York.
‘‘ I am an artist and metal sculptor. My sculptures are crafted in steel, and also in brass, aluminum, and copper. I like to test different ways of manipulating metals to create shapes that come from my observation of reality or that express a thought, that reflect a memory. A lot of my work happens between the hammer and the anvil. Through hammering, the shapes of my sculptures develop and transform into thoughts through the material. I hammer the steel sheet cold and hot based on the need for the shape I want to create. I love the forge and the atmosphere that is created around its tradition, the heat, the glowing spectrum of red, yellow and orange color, the smell. Welding is my routine and joining two metal parts by welding is one of the satisfying and enlightening things, an almost meditative process that requires calm and dedication, and the patience to observe the behavior of the liquefied metal. Sanding and polishing allows you to obtain amazing effects.
I believe that every work is a study and at the same time the manifestation of a feeling. I like continuous experimentation from both a technical and a conceptual point of view. I like to be in constant movement and this curiosity is what drives my creativity. ’’
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
2013 Master's Degree (110/110 cum Laude) in Multimedia and Technological Arts at Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma, Rome, Italy
2010 Bachelor's degree (110/110 cum Laude) in Painting at Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma, Rome, Italy
RESIDENCIES
2022 Franconia Sculpture Park, MN
2022 The Steel Yard, Providence, RI
2021 Salem Art Works - Blacksmith Studio Artists, Returning Artist, Salem NY
2019 Salem Art Works- Studio Artists Program- Black Smithing studio, Salem NY
SELECTED AND MOST RECENTS EXHIBITIONS
2025 - Upcoming!
Light As Air, Metal Museum
Equal Temperament, Kentucky Museum
New York Society Of Women Artists (NYSWA) Reflections on Progress: of 100 years of the New York Society of Women Artists
New York Society Of Women Artists (NYSWA) Centennial Exhibition, Into The Now: The Time Of Our Life, Ceres Gallery June 24th - July 19th
Lust For Rust, Atlantic Gallery website. Juried by Ellen Hackl Fagan.
Exploration of Colors, Site: Brooklyn Gallery website. Juried by Anna Mikaela Ekstrand.
2024
Grounding, Ki Smith Gallery, New York, NY. Curated by Ki Smith.
Identities In Context, Kunstraum LLC, Brooklyn, NY. Curated By Emireth Herrera Valdes.
Behind The Mask - The Art Of Women Welders at Wagner College. Wagner College, Staten Isalnd. Curated by Karen Dimit and Janet Rutkowski.
Constellations, SLA Art Space, Lithuanian Alliance of America, New York, NY. Curated by Ingrid Butterer.
Behind The Mask - The Art Of Women Welders, Culture Lab LIC, Brooklyn, NY. Curated by Karen Dimit and Janet Rutkowski.
Darkness & Light, ABANA Featured Forgings - Online exhibition of forged works, The Artist-Blacksmith’s Association of North America (ABANA)
Anything and everything the color red, ABC No Rio in Exile at 292 Gallery/Bullet Space, New York, NY. Curated by Robert Goldkind and Yasmeen Abdallah.
2023
To Darken, Lightly, The Factory Lic, The LIC-A Art Space, New York,NY. Curated by Audra Lambert.
2022
Public Sculpture “Acorn” installed at Franconia Sculpture Park, MN
From Core to Surface, Center for Metal Arts, PA. In occasion of the CMA’s second annual Cambria Iron Conference.
Eisenwunderwelt (Iron Wonder World), MOVING POETS Novilla, Berlin, Germany. In occasion of the ICCCIA (International Conference on Contemporary Cast Iron Art).
PAC’s 14th Foundation Show, Pawtucket Arts Collaborative, Pawtucket RI.
UNCONTESTED, SLA Art Space, New York, NY 10001.
2021
BORDERWALLS IV, The Border Project Space, Brooklyn, NY. Curated by Jamie Martinez.
We Are The World, St. Francis College, Downtown Brooklyn,NY. Curated By Lise Curry and Francine Rogers.
Art With Metal, Wetherby-Pembridge School, New York NY.
Invocations Of Light, SLA Art Space, Lithuanian Alliance of America, New York, NY.
Koha- gift, The West 132nd Street Community Garden, 117 West 132nd Street, New York, NY
Conversations with the Earth, SLA Art Space, Lithuanian Alliance of America, New York, NY.
Happenstance (March 6th - April 3rd), SLA Art Space, Lithuanian Alliance of America, New York, NY.
2020
SAW Fall Fundraising Online Auction
A Room Of Your Own, SLA Art Space, Lithuanian Alliance of America, New York, NY.
Encircle, The West 132nd Street Community Garden, New York, NY
Fantasia, One Brooklyn Bridge Park exhibition space, Brooklyn NY
Social Distancing International Virtual Exhibition, curated by Michael Rose
Ways to Disappear on a Sofa...and Other Stories, Inaugural digital Exhibition, 601Artspace, New York, NY
Craft in Contemporary Art, Site:Brooklyn Gallery, Brooklyn, NY. Juried by Samantha De Tillio.2019
Biennial of the artist's book V^ edition, Monumental Complex of San Domenico Maggiore - Library room, Naples IT
BECOMING, North Main Gallery, Salem NY
Pop-App. Scienza, arte e gioco nella storia dei libri animati dalla carta alle app, Museum of the Central Institute for Graphics, via della Stamperia 6, Rome, Italy. Curated by Gianfranco Crupi.
2018
New York International Arbitration Center (NYIAC)
2017
Metal—A Sculpture Exhibit, Governor’s Island, NYC
Fondazione Pescarabruzzo: opere d’arte per la tutela ambientale, la Maison des Arts of Fondazione Pescarabruzzo, Pescara PE, Italy
MUGSHOTS: Celebrating Ceramics and all mediums with a focus on the face,Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, Oregon
PUBLIC INSTALLATIONS
“Acorn” (November 19th for 9 months), Franconia Sculpture Park, Minnesota
“Tea In The Garden With Sweets” (July 24th - September 30th, 2021), The West 132nd Street Community Garden, 117 West 132nd Street, New York, NY
“I Write You a Flower”- (September 5th - October 3dr) West 132nd St. Block Association Garden / NYC Parks GreenThumb, NY
PUBLIC COMMUNITY PROJECTS
Since 2020 Co Founder of The Artist Gardener NYC
RECENT PRESS
2024 ARTEFUSE, Demostrating Belonging in a Disjointed World: Identity In Context at Kunstraum, NY Review. Article by Kaitlin Anne Vervoort.
2024 Suboart printed magazine, Interview with Bruna D’Alessandro, Nr. 22, April
2024 Anvil’s Ring printed magazine, Featured Forgings, Vol 52, Spring 2024, abana.org
2024 WHITEHOT Magazine, Bruna D'Alessandro: Working Magic With Metal. Article by Scott Orr.
2024 Cultbytes, Sparks Fly When Bruna D’Alessandro Speaks About Metal. Article by Anna Mikaela Ekstrand.
2024 Franconia Sculpture Park coloring book.
2023 All She Makes printed magazine, Spring 2023, Bruna D’Alessandro. Curated by Svitlana Martynjuk.
2023 Voyage Minnesota, Daily Inspirations: Meet Bruna D’Alessandro
2022 GOLOCAL Prov, Artistic Sparks Fly at The Steel Yard. Article by Michael Rose.
2022 Motif Magazine, The Art Of Metal. Article by Rose Witheman.
AWARDS
2022 Pawtucket Foundation Show 1st Place Winner
2022 Money to Burn mini grant recipient - Society of Inclusive Blacksmith
2020 Red Dot Prize Best In Show at Phillis Harriman Mason Gallery, Manhattan NY
2017 Finalist of the Art Section of the Contest Opere D’Arte per la Tutela Ambientale
2015 Sidney Glusman Merit Award
EDUCATIONAL/WORKSHOPS
2017 - Present : Substitute Instructor – Metal Sculpture Class The art Students League of New York
January - May 2022: Mentor in the Society Of Inclusive Blacksmiths (SIB) Mentorship Program
October 22nd 2021: Magnetic Paintings: Paint, Punch and Texture Metal Workshop, at Wetherby-Pembridge School NY, 7 E 96th Street, New York NY 10128.
ARTIST TALKS
November 1st, 2022: Dinner & Discussion at Franconia Sculpture Park’s Facebook page.
June 4th 2019: SAW Artists In residence talk at Union College, 807 Union St, Schenectady, NY 12308.
June 5th 2019: SAW Artist Presentation, North Main Gallery, Salem NY
2022 Pawtucket Foundation Show 1st Place Winner