Featured image: Qubit 3, Rosalba Mura, 2022, painting on canvas, 20 x 20 cm. / 7.8 x 7.8 in.
Rosalba Mura explores the boundaries between painting, sculpture, and conceptual abstraction through works that challenge the flatness of the canvas.Â
Rosalba Mura creates innovative abstract paintings that merge sculptural surfaces, conceptual inquiry, and material experimentation to explore energy, space, and transformation.
By folding, tearing, and manipulating painted surfaces, she transforms two-dimensional space into immersive physical forms that evoke energy, movement, and unseen dimensions. In Magma, Urlo Quantico, and Qubit Gold 577.72 NM, Mura investigates ideas of transformation, resonance, and quantum possibility, inviting viewers to look beyond the visible surface into spaces of mystery and imagination. Together, these works demonstrate how contemporary abstraction can merge material experimentation with philosophical inquiry.
Magma, Rosalba Mura, 2022, painting on canvas, 60 x 60 cm. / 23.62 x 23.62 in.
Magma presents a dramatic rupture in the painted surface, revealing a glowing interior that appears to pulse with molten energy. Layers of dark gray and black fold inward, exposing luminous reds and oranges that evoke volcanic heat emerging from beneath the earth's crust. Rather than depicting magma literally, Mura uses the physical manipulation of the canvas itself to symbolize hidden forces waiting beneath calm exteriors. The sculptural folds generate depth and shadow, transforming the painting into an object that exists between illusion and reality. The work becomes a meditation on pressure, creation, and the powerful energies that shape both the natural world and human experience.
Urlo Quantico, Rosalba Mura, 2021, painting on canvas, 60 x 60 cm. / 23.62 x 23.62 in.
In Urlo Quantico ("Quantum Scream"), Mura reduces color to an almost monochromatic palette, allowing form and absence to become the primary language of the work. A sculpted opening emerges from layers of white canvas, surrounding a dark central void that draws the viewer inward. Inspired by the artist's concept of a meaningful scream traveling through time and gaining resonance within a quantum space, the composition transforms sound into physical structure. The folds suggest vibration frozen in material form, while the deep black center becomes a symbolic space of memory, silence, and infinite possibility. Through its restrained visual language, the work explores how emotion can transcend physical boundaries and continue to evolve across time.
Qubit Gold 577.72 NM, Rosalba Mura, 2020, painting on canvas, 70 x 70 cm. / 27.5 x 27.5 in.
Qubit Gold 577.72 NM expands Mura's investigation of hidden dimensions through a striking interplay of black surfaces and radiant gold. Torn and folded sections reveal shimmering metallic passages beneath the dark exterior, creating a visual tension between concealment and revelation. The reference to the qubit, the fundamental unit of quantum information, suggests multiple states existing simultaneously, while the wavelength noted in the title evokes the scientific precision of light itself. Rich contrasts between matte black textures and reflective gold surfaces encourage viewers to consider the relationship between observation, matter, and perception. By physically disrupting the canvas, Mura transforms scientific concepts into poetic abstractions that celebrate both mystery and discovery.
Across Magma, Urlo Quantico, and Qubit Gold 577.72 NM, Rosalba Mura reimagines painting as a dynamic physical space where material, light, and form converge. Her manipulated canvases challenge traditional expectations of the painted surface, inviting viewers to peer beyond appearances into hidden layers of energy, memory, and transformation. Through sculptural interventions, restrained color palettes, and conceptual depth, Mura creates works that bridge art and science while encouraging contemplation of realities that exist beyond ordinary perception. Together, these paintings reveal an innovative practice grounded in experimentation, abstraction, and the endless possibilities of the unseen.
Misalignment, Rosalba Mura, 2025, painting on canvas, 99 x 99 cm. / 38.9 x 38.9 in.