Italian artist featured at Rising Stars studio

COURTESY PHOTO An oil painting by Italian artist Maria Pia Malerba who is the featured artist at Rising Stars Art Studio in Cape Coral. Malerba's exhibit opens Feb. 15 and runs through Feb. 24 at the Cape Harbour gallery. Rising Stars Art Studio in Cape Coral hosts an exhibit by Italian artist Maria Pia Malerba beginning Friday, Feb. 15 and running through Sunday Feb. 24. A meet the artist reception runs from 6-8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 15 at the Cape Harbour gallery.

Maria Pia Malerba is an ecliptic artist, expressing herself in different ways and shapes; in this show, she introduces her own hyperrealism .

Malerba's show creates an emotion in the observer: through the technique of hyperrealism, she speaks to the viewer about existential and ethic themes.

"If something will save us, it will be beauty," she said.

The main theme of some of the paintings is water (basic and purifying element, means the return to the origins and to our own being) : this is an attempt of the artist to bring the observer, through an emotional path, to acknowledge the importance of water and at the same time to underline the many problems related to the lack of this element in many areas of the world.

COURTESY PHOTO Maria Pia Malerba Other artists represented at the Studio include: Sarah Penna, Lois Johnston, Pam Brodersen, Joan Roberts, Sara Long, Uschi Lanier, David Lanier, and Terry Halek.

Regular Studio hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Sunday. The Studio is located at 5781 Cape Harbour Dr., #105 in Cape Coral. Call 541-9992 for information.