Federica Ricca lives, studies, and works in Catania, Sicily, where she was born on February 23, 1993. From an early age, she has contemplated the beauty of details in the world around her, seeking to recreate them through painting—sharing them with others both as a creative act and as a simple observation of reality. She began her studies at the State Art Institute of Catania, located amidst the Baroque harmonies of Via Crociferi; the decorative motifs found there became a central element of her art, imbuing her work with a study of the sublime and perfection, as well as a sense of melancholy that serves as an emblem of the artist’s very being. She continued her education at the Academy of Fine Arts in Catania, initially enrolling in the Painting program before switching to the three-year Decoration course, which she completed in 2018. During this time—as her artistic expression evolved across sculpture, installation, and decoration—she studied under the artist and professor Pippo Altomare. He became a beloved mentor in both art and life, and she forged a special, enduring bond with him that went beyond the purely artistic. Concurrently, she worked as a fine jewelry miniaturist at Atelier Amenano in the center of her hometown, while also exhibiting and selling her own artworks. She participated in two group exhibitions: "Young People at the Center" at the Pippo Giuffrida Civic Art Gallery in Catania, Sicily (Italy), where she displayed three works; and "From Anatomy to Art—an anatomical study inspired by Gunther von Hagens’ "Body Worlds"—held at the Palazzo della Cultura in Catania (an event and catalog curated by Marina Passaniti). In 2019, she opened her own atelier in the heart of her city’s historic center; there, she works, exhibits her own pieces alongside those of other artists, and mentors the young artist Matteo Mauro. He visited Verona, Trento, and Milan, exhibiting his work in galleries in Verona. In 2022, he earned a Master’s degree as a High Jewelry Finishing Goldsmith from the Harim Euromediterranean Academy in Catania. Despite being hired by a company, his artistic drive—and a renewed focus on painting inspired by artist Pippo Altomare—led him to complete his artistic education with a two-year specialization course in Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Catania.
In the summer of 2023, he took part in the inaugural "Nel Cuore del Monferrato" artist residency in Viarigi (Asti, Italy); the works created there were subsequently exhibited at the Church of San Silverio in Viarigi (catalog curated by Claudio Mogliotti, published by Francesco D’Amico Editore). He exhibited at the "Südpol 18" show at Galerie Vorspann in Bad Eisenkappel (Austria), an event in which he is set to participate again in the spring of 2024. His most significant exhibition to date is the two-person show "Abbracci D'Arte" (Artistic Embraces) with artist Pippo Altomare, which opened on May 3, 2024, at Spazio Vitale Arte Contemporanea in Aversa (Caserta, Italy). Curated by critics Rosario Pinto and Mino Iorio, the exhibition was the subject of articles written by them for the daily newspaper "Il Roma" (Naples) and the magazine "Amicando semper" (issue no. 65). It is an exhibition of profound sensitivity, intended to be the first in a series of shows to be held in Italy and abroad. In June 2024, he participated with two works in "Oleum"—an exhibition of sketches and a permanent tile installation in the historic village of Nerola (Rome)—as well as in the following artist residencies: the "Atelier nella Roccia" residency at the Castle of Sperlinga (Enna, Italy). In July at the Martin Benedict International Art Residency in Galbeni-Bacău (Romania); at the Chiaravalle Arte 2024 National Prize, Catanzaro (catalogue published by Rubbettino). In August of the same year, the artist participated in the "Dvorski Likovni Dnevi X plus III" Art Colony in Dvor pri Žužemberku (Slovenia)—an event and catalogue curated by Anamarija Stibilj Šajn—and also took part in the second "Nel cuore del Monferrato" Art Residency in Viarigi (Asti). Furthermore, the artist is featured in Paolo Pratali’s book "C’era una volta Atelier Palazzo Damiani" and the "Ufodementialart" and "Page of Madness" exhibition curated by him in Fosdinovo (Massa-Carrara, Italy); the artist also participated in the "A. Capital⁺ 400 International Art Exhibition"—organized by the Hua International Association at the Yun Fei Fan Museum in Tainan (Taiwan)—which included a catalogue.
2025 began with a residency and the group exhibition "Visioni Connesse" (alongside Pippo Altomare) at the Ozurgeti Modern Fine Art Center in Ozurgeti (Georgia), accompanied by a catalogue. On March 15, 2025, a second two-person exhibition with Pippo Altomare, titled "Arte in Simbiosi", opened in Sarsina (Forlì-Cesena, Italy), featuring a catalogue text by art critic Vittorio Spampinato. Other notable events attended in 2025 include: the "Kaos LaFollia" exhibition at Torre Malaspina, Fosdinovo (Massa-Carrara, Italy), curated by Paolo Pratali; and the “Đorđe Vukadinović” Artistic Symposium at Hotel Piccolina in Sombor (Serbia). International Artist Colony of Hajdúság, Hajdúböszörmény, of the Hajdúság Foundation (Hungary) event and exhibition curated by Járdán-Bihari Ágnes, Kupás Csilla and Rácz Imre; XXI Międzynarodowy Plener Malarski “Srebrne Miasto Olkusz 2025”, Olkusz (Poland): 21st "Silver Town" International Plein Air Painting Meeting—event and catalog curated by Stanislav Stach and Paulina Stach; "Rosso su Bianco" (Red on White), a collective contemporary art exhibition at the Civic Archaeological Museum of Sabina Tiberina in Fara Sabina (Rieti). In September, he participated—as the only other artist alongside Pippo Altomare—in the exhibition "Muta-Menti: uno sguardo verso il futuro, ma quale futuro?" (Transformations: A Look Toward the Future—But Which Future?) at the Rocca di Umbertide (Perugia), curated by Andrea Baffoni and Pippo Cosenza. This was followed by the group exhibition "Between Colorful and Uncolored" at the LortzingART gallery in Hannover (Germany); "Convergence from Divergence" at the Painting and Sculpture Museum in Izmir (Turkey), organized by IAF Anima Mundi; the 2025 Messina Biennale; and the "Paolo Vetri" National Painting Prize at the Urban Center in Enna; additionally, one of his works was published in the monthly magazine "Arte" in September 2025. The year 2026 opened with a third two-person exhibition—again with Pippo Altomare—titled "Trame Fluttuanti" (Floating Weaves), curated by Enzo Santese and hosted at the ASP "ITIS" Exhibition Area in Trieste. In February, he participated in the group art exhibition "Eternal Tango"—a tribute to Astor Piazzolla—at the KO-RA Gallery in Skopje (Macedonia). April saw the opening of a fourth two-person exhibition with Pippo Altomare, titled "Crystalline Symbiosis", at the Glass Museum in Piegaro (Perugia, Italy); curated by critic Pippo Cosenza, the exhibition was featured in the art magazine "Spazio 121 Arte – Visioni e Tensioni", also published by Cosenza. In July, the two-person exhibition "The Other Metamorphosis"—curated by Ágnes Járdán-Bihari—opened at the New Gallery in Debrecen, Hungary’s second-largest city. A work she created during the Martin Benedict International Art Residency is set to be issued as a postage stamp by Romfilatelia in Bucharest. This year, she participated in the 63rd International Artist Colony of Hajdúság (Hajdúböszörmény), organized by the Hajdúság Foundation, and took part in the following art residencies: Nova Siri Muse Festival 2026 (Nova Siri, Italy), Dvor Likovni Dnevi XII in Dvor pri Žužemberku (Slovenia), and the F2F Art Residency at Sperlinga Castle (Enna, Italy). She is featured in the Messina Biennale 2026; the exhibition "Beyond Borders, The Universe of Francis" at the Sala Cannoniera of the Rocca Paolina in Perugia (organized by Spazio 121 Arte); and the group exhibition "Echoes of the Present, Legacy of the Future" at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Italy (Great Mosque of Rome), curated by Ayman El-Semary, Monica Pirone, and Shereen Badr. Art critic Enzo Santese included one of her works in the 2024 "In Arte e Poesia" calendar and the 2026 calendar, and also featured her work on the cover of the monthly magazine "Amicando semper". 58 – November 2023. Among others, Professor Luca Pietro Vasta of the Academy of Fine Arts in Catania and Lucio Cangini have written about her work (the latter in connection with the exhibition "L’Arte in Simbiosi"); Járdán-Bihari Ágnes authored a critical text for her exhibition "The Other Metamorphosis" at the New Gallery in Debrecen; and artist András Breznay dedicated an article to her in the Hungarian art criticism magazine "Új Művészet". She is featured in the "CAM" (Modern Art Catalogue), issue no. 61 (published by Mondadori and Cairo Editore), with a critical text by Mino Iorio. Furthermore, during the presentation of the exhibition "Muta-Menti", writer Andrea Baffoni discussed her and her art alongside artist Pippo Altomare; for the event, the two were presented as a single artistic entity, showcasing three collaborative works created jointly.
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