Aci Sant'Antonio
REIS: Sicilian Intangible Heritage Register
Venera Chiarenza, known as Nerina - Artist of the Sicilian cart
Description

Venera Chiarenza, known as Nerina - Artist of the Sicilian cart

Nerina Chiarenza was born in Acireale on 11/05/1934. As a child she was always passionate about the work of her father, a builder of Sicilian carts. Nerina, day after day, follows her father's work with enchantment and learns the art, the secrets, the love for what surrounds her: the earth, the colors, the painting. Little by little, she becomes aware of her "artistic vocation": she looks at the works of her brother Salvatore, who is also dedicated to the sculpture of trolleys and everything is transformed into a reality to be compared. She starts working on some small pastime jobs. She helps her father to assemble and forge cart wheels. At the age of 14 Nerina got married, always maintaining her vocation, until her paintings became her new business. Her house soon becomes a world of artistic fairy tales where you can find the sides of the trolleys, the keys of the trolleys, the “casciafuso”, the colors, the sculptures and even the whole trolleys present in the countryside and restored. All these things become magnificent works of art that can be touched, seen and enhanced thanks to Nerina's love. She nerina has the legacy of four generations of Sicilian cart producers and today she is the only woman guardian of this tradition. Her works are full of love and passion for all those who want to get closer to this ancient art. You have the admiration of journalists, actors and celebrities: Adriano Dezan, Ron, Mirella D'Angelo. With Mirella D'Angelo, she Nerina works as an actress in the film “Turi ei paladini”, where she also paints the set. The film is directed by Alessandro D'Angelo and Santo Schimmensi. Among the various prizes awarded we find:

  • “Etna D'Oro” International Award, 25 August 1979, for folk painters.

  • Award for the dissemination of Made in Italy in the German market. Frankfurt 4-9 May 1985.

  • 'La Clef de l'exportation (Annèe de la Qualitè)', 1981. French award

Source: "Book of Catania"
Boemi Prampolini Edition
Interviews Tea D'amico

On 09 September 2013, Ms. Nerina Chiarenza is formally requested by the "Regional Province" to be registered in the "Register of intangible inheritances of Sicily", a book of living human treasures that contributes to safeguarding the cultural treasure of art to protect its use and promotion. (Text source: http://www.nerinachiarenza.it/)

 

 

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Technical sheet prepared by: Region of Sicily - Department of cultural heritage and Sicilian identity - CRicd: Regional center for inventory, cataloging and documentation and Sicilian regional film library

193
Venera Chiarenza, known as Nerina - Artist of the Sicilian cart
REIS - Book of Living Human Treasures
16-10-2014
Living human treasure
Catania
 
Aci Sant'Antonio
Nerina Clarity
Venera Chiarenza, known as Nerina, was born in Acireale on 11 May 1934. From an early age she was fascinated by the work of her father, Sebastiano Chiarenza, builder of Sicilian carts. Lei nerina follows her paternal work day after day and assimilates the art, the secrets, the love for everything that surrounds her. She also observes the work of her brother Salvatore who dedicates himself to the sculptural part and the whole of her is transformed into Nerina into a reality with which to confront. After learning her father's teachings, she begins to try her hand at small jobs. She helps her father to forge cart wheels, she works on iron elements. At 14, however, she changes her world: she marries and suddenly moves away from her father's world, even though she still has a passion for painting, which awakens after a few years of abandonment. Her house soon turns into a workshop where the sides of a cart, cart keys, cascia ri fusu, colors, lands, whole carts searched for in the open countryside and expertly restored, wood sculptures.
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Sicilian cart painter decorator / Artist
 
 
Nerina Chiarenza has collected the legacy of at least four generations of Sicilian cart manufacturers and she has learned the art since she was a child. In every piece of her transpires the love and passion for her work and always willing to offer, to whoever she wants to learn, part of her secrets and her experience of her.
Always passionate about drawing and painting, she began her professional career in the 70s, causing considerable scandal because in those years, in a small Sicilian town like Aci Sant'Antonio, it was unthinkable for a woman to work, and then above all in a traditionally male field such as that of the cart. But the support and help of her husband, her greatest supporter of her, has allowed her to continue in her business and achieve some important goals, participating in various exhibitions both in Italy and abroad.
He has received major awards throughout his career, including:
- “Etna D'Oro” International Award for Folk Painting in 1979: “For the prestige that with its colors it has been able to give to the most authentic tradition of Sicilian folklore”;
- “La Clef de l'exportation” (Annèe de la Qualitè), in Paris in 1981;
- Award for the dissemination of "Made in Italy" on the German market at the Italian Handicraft Exhibition, held in Frankfurt in 1985.
In his carts, in addition to the decoration with geometric and / or phytomorphic and anthropomorphic motifs of all the elements, the banks are of particular value, in which he mainly reproduces tales of chivalry: there is always the paladin, a hero faithful to his principles and in love with beautiful Angelica; in this regard he states: "I love Orlando's character very much because he is faithful to his principles until his death and sincerely in love with the beautiful Angelica".
Being very attached to her city, she has always refused to exhibit her works at the museum of Palermo, Agrigento and Acitrezza because her desire is that they remain the heritage of Aci Sant'Antonio.
 
Buttitta, Antonino and Antonio Cusumano. 1988. Chariot builders and sculptors, in Buttitta, Antonino, edited by. The forms of work: traditional crafts in Sicily. Palermo: Flaccovio Publisher.
 
It happened, Giuseppe. 1978. Il Sicilian cart. Palermo: Sellerio Publisher.
 
Carcasio, Maria, edited by. 1991. Il wood, iron, color. Catalog of the traveling exhibition on the Sicilian cart. Palermo: Sicilian Graphic Arts.
 
D'Agostino, Gabriella, edited by. 1991. Folk art in Sicily: techniques, themes, symbols. Palermo: Flaccovio Publisher.
 
 
 
Nerina Chiarenza in 1978 took part in a film, “Turi ei Paladini” directed by Alessandro D'Angelo, where she can be admired intent on her work, in fact she plays the role of painter.
Maria Rosaria Paterno '
 

Card insertion: Ignazio Caloggero

Photo: http://www.nerinachiarenza.it/

Information contributions: Ignazio Caloggero / Web

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