Italian artist and theatre veteran Cinzia Ciaramicoli is a firm believer in the power of the arts – for healing, for creating joy and for uniting people and communities, regardless of background. Putting her beliefs into practice, Ciaramicoli’s debut solo exhibition, Tales Being Silenced, is raising funds for a project that will bring the arts’ positive impact to isolated rural communities in Tanzania.
The exhibition – free admission and by appointment – runs at a pop-up gallery in Taman Jaya, Petaling Jaya, from Nov 28-30.
It has about 30 exhibits on display, including a 10m-long RiverPaint, a bold, flowing piece made through a form of art therapy developed by Ciaramicoli over the years.
All proceeds from sales of her works will be channelled to the Kuunganisha Project, a self-funded project by The ItinerAnts, a global collective of artists that Ciaramicoli founded.
Earlier this year in January, the collective travelled to the Dodoma region of Tanzania to run storytelling sessions and arts and crafts workshops with isolated, underprivileged communities. They also visited schools for children with disabilities run by The Tumaini Foundation.
With the funds raised through this exhibition, the group – which includes artists from Canada, Italy, Malaysia, Nigeria, and Britain – plans to return to Tanzania in January 2026.
“Art is therapy, a healing and transformational process. In a world of people thirsty for destruction, I feel the need to create in order to rebalance the energy surrounding us,” says Ciaramicoli, 61, who spent about 15 years in Malaysia as a director and community theatre actor, and co-founded the children’s theatre company The Jumping Jellybeans.
With her long-standing friendships among local artists and theatre practitioners, she’s able to call on several of them to take part in the exhibition.
Tomorrow evening at 7pm (Nov 28), the exhibition features a storytelling session by Shanthini Venugopal, reading The Sky Animals, a new book by artist and writer Mary Maguire.
On Saturday (Nov 29) at noon, Ciaramicoli reads Laura And The Butterflies, followed by Maguire bringing her book The Sky Animals to life at 7pm.
On Sunday (Nov 30), Ciaramicoli returns with The Little River, while Maguire revisits The Sky Animals at 4pm to enliven the exhibition’s closing day.
A story to tell
Tales Being Silenced is composed of watercolour and acrylic paintings by Ciaramicoli, as well as papier mache sculptures.
“I left Italy in 1994 and have lived in six different countries on three different continents – I suppose you could call me an ‘eternal immigrant’. Of course, there were times when I disagreed with the systems I found myself living in, but out of fear of being asked to leave, I kept silent," says Ciaramicoli.
“Having been a ‘foreigner’ artist for so many years, I instead found strategic ways to use the arts to express what I am not allowed to say. For example, in my paintings, I’ve hidden words and phrases that express my true feelings. Tales Being Silenced is an opportunity for me to share this process of healing through my art with others.” Ciaramicoli adds that she wanted to present her first solo show in Malaysia because after living here for so long, “this is where I have my roots, my real friends.”
Currently based in Hastings, East Sussex in England, Ciaramicoli says that the exhibition also has an interactive element to it.
“In every artwork I make, there is a story to tell, and this is so for the RiverPaint piece. It has 18 segments, and during the exhibition, there will be moments when I will cut the long canvas while narrating my dear friend Giovanna Conforto’s Little River story,” she explains.
Sparking happiness and joy
The story of the Kuunganisha Project, Ciaramicoli recalls, began in 2022, when her 22-year-old daughter decided to embark on a solo backpacking journey across East Africa.
“In Tanzania, she volunteered at a safe home for children run by Tumaini Kivuyo, this amazing young woman whom she insisted I meet. The following year, I went with my husband and daughter to Tanzania and performed as my theatre character, Nina The Tea Lady, who tells stories and sings while serving tea and biscuits.
“Over 10 days, Tumaini brought me to schools and rural areas where they’ve never seen anything like this. After that, I decided to come back with a team, because it’s too much to do it all on my own, and that’s how the Kuunganisha Project got started. ‘Kuunganisha’ means ‘connect’ in Swahili,” she says.
Also part of the Kuunganisha Project are Malaysian theatre veterans Susie Kukathas, who is the project producer, and Shanthini Venugopal, as well as Maguire, whose children’s book The Sky Animals was illustrated by Ciaramicoli and is also being sold to raise funds for the project.
“It’s such a special thing, to be able to spark happiness and joy in these communities with the arts, especially when their lives are so full of hardships, like poverty and conflict.
"So I hope people will come visit the exhibition, and if they can, contribute to a good cause,” she concludes.
Tales Being Silenced is showing at No.1, Jalan 10/12, Taman Jaya, Petaling Jaya, Selangor from Nov 28-30. By appointment only. For appointments, WhatsApp: 017-791-4609. More info here.
