Cicciolina Makes Art

My Ultimate Artistic Rebellion Today — Cicciolina Makes Art

I have always lived in the cradle of Contemporary Art, in all its forms—from visual works to musical creations. Today, this artistic journey fully solidifies the bond between the artist, action painting, and my own musical genre: Cicciolina: Hymn to Artistic Transgression. The sounds of my songs accompany the creation of each abstract illustrative piece, pushing concentration to the extreme during art exhibitions. This fusion makes the connection between the canvas and the deepest self of the world’s most recognized Global Pop Icon truly unique and essential.

From the beginning of my artistic career, I have been immersed in figurative art—whether through photography, where I continue to serve as a muse for renowned international photographers, or through fashion, where I have graced the runways of major European designers. I maintain excellent relationships with many designers, including Jean Paul Gaultier, Paco Rabanne, Riccardo Tisci, Mariuccia Prada, and others who may still seek my collaboration today.

I am a 100% self-taught artist—creativity runs through my veins in all its forms. Photography is art, just as modeling for the world’s greatest fashion designers is a form of artistic expression. But I did not stop at fabric. Now, the only fabrics I work with are the canvases of my surrealistic paintings, as techno-painting has taken over me and become a true way of life!

Every one of my artworks is the result of complete immersion in the canvas. Only when I feel this deep connection leading me to completion can I sign a piece. The creative recharge takes time, so it may be a while before I sign the next one. Additionally, I apply meticulous care to every composition: each buyer receives a certificate of authenticity with a photograph and an edition number. My works are cataloged and archived, with over a dozen large-scale surrealist pieces to date, typically measuring between 150/200 cm x 110 cm.

My exclusive artistic commitment today is to represent **my life and career—from cinema to politics—**through a series of contemporary artworks. I say this with great enthusiasm because **the greatest work of art is life itself! **

Both Photography and illustrative art have always been a part of my true talents. Even in the early days, Riccardo Schicchi would spend hours photographing me immersed in nature or capturing me in erotic scenes—fantastical and vibrant, yet never vulgar. These surreal scenes and key moments from my career in film, politics, and entertainment now come to life in my art through dreamlike nudes and colorful collages that radiate sensuality and vitality.

In October 2015, some of my artworks were exhibited at the Francesco Ribezzo Museum in Brindisi, where I had the honor of serving as the event’s ambassador for the Virgilio International Prize. In March 2017, several of my most striking pieces were showcased in Turin during an event that gathered the greatest national and international erotic artists.

Hollywood: The Heaven of Stars

Artist: Ilona Staller Cicciolina, 2016
Description: A surreal scene with the artist in the foreground
Technique & Materials: Collage, acrylic imprint on canvas enriched with shimmering powders and crystals
Dimensions: Approx. 160 x 100 cm
Location: Private collection

A modern reinterpretation of Botticelli’s Venus, this striking contemporary artwork features Cicciolina reclining atop an open seashell—unlike Botticelli’s standing Venus—creating an immediate and powerful visual impact.

Symbolism and Meaning

The seashell is a significant symbol, representing an internal emptiness. This emptiness, juxtaposed with Cicciolina’s presence, enhances her allure, mystery, sensitivity, and above all, musicality. Just as holding a shell to one’s ear reveals the echo of the sea, this Venus Cicciolina embodies the enchanting voice of sensuality and sexuality—resonating like the eternal whisper of the ocean.

The song “Baby Love”, performed by Cicciolina herself, serves as the perfect auditory companion to this visual experience (see Note 1).

The artwork places Cicciolina within an Eden-like paradise, immersed in the vibrant colors of California. Hollywood—the Heaven of Stars—is symbolized through her presence upon the seashell of love, surrounded by shadowy, anonymous male figures. Their featureless, mannequin-like appearance contrasts with the idyllic Eden, embodying a deeper social commentary.

The Mannequins: A Metaphor for Society

Mannequins lack predefined gender; they become whatever attire dictates—stockings make them women, suits make them men. In this piece, mannequins represent how desire, love, and sexuality will always remain in fashion, much like Cicciolina herself—an eternal icon and myth. Love transcends gender—whether male, female, non-binary, or beyond.

However, mannequins also symbolize the constraints of a society that dresses individuals according to rigid norms, imposing identities rather than allowing self-expression. Humanity must not remain motionless—desires and instincts should not be repressed in solitude, hidden away from a world in conflict. Love exists everywhere; it simply needs the freedom to be lived fully.

In the bottom corner of the painting, a serpent with a forked tongue appears—a direct representation of the venomous prejudice of a society often plagued by coldness and homophobia.

Cicciolina’s Eternal Message

With her timeless mantra—“Make love, not war”—Cicciolina remains a champion of sexual freedom, continuously defying a rigid and judgmental world.

Note 1:
“Sin was invented by those who envy love but fear to embrace it. Love was born from a drop of sky, falling into the arms of the sea, and on a foam flower, it began to soar for eternity…”

WHITE ANGEL: The Temple of Love

A striking vision unfolds in this contemporary artistic illustration—an angel with outstretched white feathered wings stands, revealing her body in all its captivating femininity, charged with eroticism. The scene contrasts sharply with elements of pure Renaissance style.

In this work, the angelic Cicciolina is captured in the firmament of love, within the Temple of Eros, where woman is the Goddess—the one and only. Below her stands a mysterious man, yearning to possess the body of the one he loves, worshipping nothing but Eros through his thoughts, actions, and public images of her naked form. Yet, like a wild and lustful tiger, access to her flesh and bare body remains elusive. In his longed-for hands, a white violin plays a magical melody of love—an ode to sensuality and sexuality. This melody, “L’Inno alla Trasgressione” (Hymn to Transgression), sung by Cicciolina herself, serves as the auditory backdrop to this artwork (see Note 2).

This erotic heroine, akin to one chosen by God, does not provoke scandal—rather, it is the scandal of the world that creates the masterpiece under God’s Last Judgment, depicted in the celestial dome above her. Overhead, doves soar, symbols of peace, aspiring for eternal harmony in the world. As an angel of sexual freedom, Cicciolina’s message—“make love, not war”—continues to defy the dangers posed by a society often cold in its customs and mindset, symbolized by marble busts with stern, warrior-like expressions flanking the Temple of Eros.

Note 2:
“Alone along the road, dressed in my fantasies, I feel different; you warm me, and I become perverse… a hymn to transgression, like an angel… running along the road, splashing in my face and flying away… flying away…”

THE ANGEL AND THE DEVIL: The Transversal Judgement

A striking vision unfolds: an angel with outstretched white feathered wings stands in all her purity, while behind her looms The Devil’s Advocate—a figure of justice, brilliant and unpredictable, the ultimate defender of an innocent angel. This powerful presence represents Luca Di Carlo, the Hollywood stars’ lawyer, with the initials “I” and “S” carved into his hands, a judicial tribute to the defense of an ICON who has become a historical figure in the world of transgressive and artistic expression.

This contemporary artistic illustration, interwoven with Renaissance influences, captures Cicciolina as the angel and Luca Di Carlo as the “Devil of the Law”, ready to play his final ace in defense of a life filled with passion, excitement, and countless legal battles—echoing the international disputes involving the artist and Jeff Koons.

The core message of the piece is unmistakable: it is the world’s scandal that creates the masterpiece, placed under a Transversal Judgment—a fearless defense led by The Devil’s Advocate, Luca Di Carlo.

Once again, the violin appears in Cicciolina’s hands—a symbol of romance and seduction—accompanying her voice as she sings “Make love, not war.” Like an angel of sexual freedom, she continues to challenge the dangers of a cold, violent, and unjust society, rigid in its traditions and ways of thinking.

My Artistic Vein

In front of a camera or a sketch, my commitment is first and foremost the ability to nurture my imagination, bring ideas to life, chase dreams, and try to do what makes me feel good by creating something meaningful, an inspiration that comes from the heart. Nature itself makes me feel the strong need to live from creativity. I constantly seek new stimuli through new photos, new ideas, and new projects that allow me to continue doing my work at my best, challenging myself, growing, and even falling when needed, because that’s part of the process.

For me, nudity is synonymous with freedom: a pure, unconditional form that is part of us every day. Nudity is a way of communicating without barriers, lowering the defenses that clothing can represent—defenses we use to protect ourselves from vulnerability.

My intent is to compose artistic images in constant evolution, as I don’t like repeating the same scenes. I try to avoid routine, which I see as the antithesis of my way of being. In my work, there is a noticeable change, likely reflecting the different phases of my life, from the colors to the sets; nothing should be repetitive.

When we think of children and their innate, free way of being, free from any conditioning, and if we are able to relive this dimension in adulthood, we have the chance to be creative without restrictions. Remembering to be a child is not a sign of weakness but of freedom.