Bio
Coquelicot Mafille was born in Paris in 1975, in a house filled with canvases, fabrics, and colors, surrounded by the vibrant and multicultural alleys of Montmartre. Her father, a painter, and her mother, a fashion designer, instilled in her a passion for art in all its forms from a young age. The manual skills inherited early on led her to a passion for embroidery, which soon became her distinctive feature. Threads that the artist weaves onto canvases or replicates on walls and in illustrations, creating a unique and distinct pictorial style.
Mafille describes herself as an artist who loves color and storytelling. Her work is closely tied to the life of the city, a painting that arises from dynamic interaction with and for the street, depicting urban events of everyday life replicated in her works. She shows curiosity and attention to everything that composes the identity of a city, from sociocultural dynamics to characteristic objects and the gathering places of its inhabitants.
Fabrics, sheets, photographs, walls, windows—Mafille embraces every medium with her delicate touch, painting, embroidering, writing, making various elements interact to compose her stories. A narrative that, even when placed in the urban fabric of large walls and surfaces, never imposes itself aggressively but, on the contrary, resonates in the streets like a song and interacts with passersby like poetry. Mafille speaks to us about nature and the nature of human relationships, in an inclusive, multicultural world where the frenzy of the city takes a pause to breathe. A world made of colors and small gestures, capable of conveying a sense of deep serenity to those who observe.
The project for urban decoration in Sperlonga, commissioned as part of the “Cabin Street, l’energia dell’Arte” format with Sky Arte, brought Coquelicot Mafille closer to the value of mythological storytelling. The artist has participated in international exhibitions and collaborated with major brands, including Gucci. In 2021, Coquelicot was selected by the jury of the open call “Tunnel Reload - Tunnel Boulevard.” This project was born from the idea of creating a unique, inclusive, and accessible space for everyone. With Coquelicot Mafille's impressive work, the railway underpass at Via Padova / Pontano corner becomes the first urban exhibition space for poster art and public stencil-collage in Italy. The artist created a contemporary art frieze that tells the protean and dynamic identity of Via Padova and the neighborhood. It is a 70-meter-long, 2-meter-high collage, 35 meters for each carriageway of Via Padova, made of trails, lines, and colored elements on which more than 60 painted and hand-cut figures were pasted, with the idea of composing a kaleidoscope of shapes, colors, and words.
"My happiness lies in seeing those who stop because they are attracted by something familiar and start reading." This project thus makes contemporary art a public good for everyone and, at the same time, provides a new way to explore and admire the city: its walls."
Esposizioni
Solo Exhibitions:
2023 Camminare sul filo, MIF, Museum of women's entrepreneurship, Muravera, SU, Italy.
2023 Roma Altrove Roma Altrui , curated by Laetitia de Galzain, Rome.
2021 Open Studio, studio temporaneo : restitution publique, Milan.
2019 Lectures, Walden Café, Milan.
2018 Due Respiri, Un passo , double solo show, Eroici Furori, Milan.
2017 Richiami , Archimania, Sanremo.
2016 Encyclopédique , Sibilla Arte,Carassai.
2016 Bamiyan Mon Amour, Caffè Internazionale, curated by Stefania Calegati, Palermo.
2012 Traces, Chantiers de la Lune, Seyne sur mer.
2008 Felice di Conoscerti, Associazione Marinai, Alghero, curated by Mariolina Cosseddu.
Group Exhibitions:
2024 Venus in Furs, Spazio Arte Contemporanea, Robecchetto con Induno, Italy.
2022 Uno Sguardo su Roma, Institut Français de Rome curated by Laetitia de Galzain.
2022 Anime Libere, Eroici Furori, Milano
2021 500, curated by Silvia Agliotti, Eroici Furori, Milano
2021 L'Expo des 150, curated by Ambra Pelletiier, Villa Radet, Paris.
2020 Viva La Vulva , curated by Laura Brignoli for Essity Italia, Milano.
2019 Beyond Language , Istanbul, curators Benedetta Casagrande and Lara Ozdogan.
2018 Scoprire l'opera, Eroici Furori, Milan.
2018 Appunti sull'universo, curated by Mariolina Cosseddu, Molineddu (SS).
2017 Trascendenze Bocs8, , Roma art Week, Roma.
2017 Chinatown Biennale, Galleria Davide Gallo, Milan.
2017 Around Sensuality, Studi Festival, Milan.
2016 TheOthersArtFair, Turin.
2016 ArtVerona, i7 independent space, Verona with Caffè Internazionale.
2016 Street Art Expo, Memorie Urbane. Gaeta (LT),
2016 Intragallery, Naples, curated by Alberto Dambruoso.
2016 Vis à Vis, curated by RainLab, Galerie Institut Français, Milan.
2015 TRI-BU’, BeatTricks gallery, Milan.
2015 Studi# : Wind Blossom Arrow, Milan.
2013 Linee Guida e Armoniche, Galleria Francesco Zanuso, Milan.
2011 Hybrid Maps curated by Mariolina Cosseddu, PAV, Berchidda Jazz Festival, Berchidda (NU).
2010 Mosaiques, curated by Jacqueline Herrero, Les chantiers de la lune, Seyne s/mer.
Urban Art:
2023 painted wall in memory of Fraintesa, Qiqajon association, Milan.
2023 Scalodarts: painted wall with Stradedarts and Brand for the City.
2023 Embroidered wall for LABZEROSEI, educational place for Milano council, with MUBA.
2023 Paste Up wall for Tunnel Reload, 70 meters under the tunnel of via Padova, Milano.
2022 Invocazione, embroidery on wall, Archivio di Milano curated by Rossella Farinotti.
2022 Donna E Ariete, ceramic embroidery on wall, produced by Menafueco Studio, Grottaglie.
2022 Ovunque Cielo, embroidery on wall, Alghero.
2022 Corpi Danzanti, Festival Del Tempo, DiDe Genova, curated by Roberta Melasecca.
2022 Muraless Hotel, rooms number 278 and 280, curated by Chiara Canali, Verona.
2022 Armonie dei Gigli, project CORBA, curated by Stradedarts, Milano.
2021 Andromeda, embroidery on Enel electric Cabin, Sperlonga, in collaboration with Sky Arte.
2021 Embroidered Glass Window, tape on glass for Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, Milano.
2021 Luce che danza, painted water tank, La Consorte Vineyard, Ventimiglia, IT.
2020 Embroidery on wall, @blood.artists project, Avis center in Cagliari, curated by Stradedarts.
2019 La Danseuse, painted wall for Sos Donna with Distretto A, Faenza.
2019 Stickers embroidered installation, Fluctuart, Paris.
2018 Embroidered wall, école42, Paris.
2018 Frammento/Unità, Cheap Festival , Bologna.
2017 Outdoor wall at Parco Urbano Villa Olivia, Castellammare del Golfo, TP, Sicily.
2017 Four embroidered outdoor walls at Alliance Française, Safi, Morocco.
2016 Embroidery on wall, Memorie Urbane , Fondi (LT), street art festival.
2015 Wall n°190, LE MUR , rue Oberkampf, Paris
2015 Milan’s Hippodrome, Street Players 2015, Stradedarts.
2015 Personal project about natural farming pioneers, Cascina Cuccagna, Milan.
2015 Embroidered urban walls, I-ART, Santa Ninfa, TP.
2006 Talk to the city, Careof, Comune di Milano, curated by Chiara Agnello.
Residencies:
2024 Hotel Belmar, Monteverde, Costa Rica.
2022 Menafueco Studio, Grottaglie.
2022 Festival del Tempo curated by Roberta Melasecca, Design Week Genova 2022.
2021 Iart Madonie, Sicily.
2019 59Rivoli , Paris, France.
2015 Cosenza BoCS Art Residency, curated by Alberto Dambruoso.
2015 I-art, Progetto I-Art, Santa Ninfa, Sicily.
2013 Villa Mais d’ici, Aubervilliers, (FR).
2012 Chantiers de la Lune, Seyne sur mer, (FR)
Workshops:
2023 workshops x LABZEROSEI, educational place for Milano council, with MUBA.
2020 Intimi Riverberi, workshop at Festival Scarabocchi by Circolo dei Lettori, Novara, Italy.
2018/2020, Unprepared Hearts is developed with the support of Creative Europe and it's a project that aims to bring a lightful gaze on sentimental education for teens (9/13 years) through artist’s workshop in partnership with Muba, children museum of Milan, IT, Sladovna, Pisek, CZ and Asso. DaDeCe, Bucarest, RO. I conceive and lead the workshop called Embroidered Feelings.
2018 Embroidered Portraits with Santa Maria School’s children, Carate Brianza, (MI).
2018 Embroidery on glass, workshop with the medina children at Macaal, Musée d'Art Contemporain Africain Al Maaden, Marrakech, Maroc.
2016 Embroidered Portraits, with Borgo Vecchio Children, Palermo, collaboration with Borgo Vecchio Factory, Asso. Per Esempio and Università di Palermo.
2015 ‘MINOTAURO’ psychotherapy centre, Istituto dei codici affettivi, Milan. Embroidery on photos realised by adolescents and young adults of a special group (17/22 years).
2015 Embroidered Portraits, MUBA, Children Museum Milan, sponsor Kinder.
2012 Embroidery in Contemporary Art, workshop with Paul Éluard highschool teenagers , Seine sur Mer (Toulon).
Performance and Projects:
2024 Rage & Honey, poetry reading for recall our conscience, Milan.
2022 Coloring Stitch Book, Qr Edizioni, Milan.
2021 I Leoni dell'Arsenale with Fallani Venezia, Venice.
2020 Autoprogettazione, Galleria Milano.
2019/20 Be Kind ReWIND, featured for Painted Loud Speakers, a project by Maurice Dotta.
2017 Sound and video Performance for Festival Vegetal Import, Milan.
2016 Slam Poetry Festival, poetry, voice, on video “Il n'y a pas de guerre à mon ciel pas d'enfer à ma terre”, Cox 18, Milan.
2016 Message to Man Festival, Saint Petersburg (RU) with the experimental video “ Il n'y a pas de guerre à mon ciel pas d'enfer à ma terre”, in collaboration with Vespertine Henne.
Collaborations:
2018 - Commission for Gucci Bloom Acqua Di Fiori
