Experience the renewed magic of the four elements in Maria Bernardino's print "Zodiac," winner of the Young Art Prize from CPS in 2019. Within the collection of 36 pieces dedicated to this theme, Water, Earth, Fire, Air, and their respective Zodiac signs embody the symbolism of their associated colors. The red represents the crackling fire that fuels all passions and the intensity and radiance of life itself. The blue symbolizes water, the quintessential color of the imaginary, the starting point of the great journey of dreams, and the cradle of all living forms. The golden yellow embodies the sun and alchemy of a land whose destiny is to expand and make all its creatures vibrate in the light of a celestial body that is emblematic of totality and the divine. The gray represents the air, which within its transparent atmosphere is the source of great transformations, embodying the mysteries both large and small.

In her work, the artist revitalizes a tradition that has spanned centuries, expressing it through the refinement and magic of her simultaneously visual and poetic signs.

Maria João Fernandes

Member of AICA - International Association of Art Critics

Artist's Statement:

According to the classical definition, Astrology is a pseudoscience that holds that the relative positions of celestial bodies provide information about personality, human relationships, and other spheres, both personal and transpersonal. It can be considered a divinatory activity when used as an oracle, but it can also serve as a tool for understanding human emotions, identifying emotional aspects by comparing certain tendencies with elements of each individual's personality.

"Zodiac" was created during a journey of discovery into the elements that make up the horoscope: affinities (the tendencies of each sign), aspects (the distances between the angles of each planet), planets (which coexist with the signs), houses (which divide the astrological chart's sky), and the horizon line (from which the ascendant emerges, making the chart precise). Between interpretive freedom and the legacy of a long tradition governed by mathematically exact elements, "Zodiac" is the result of a journey that seeks to resemble the task of an astrologer - interpreting, setting the tone intuitively and inspired, and playing with the realm of possibilities existing in the astrological universe.

Maria Bernardino, Dec. 2021