Marietta
Gullotti
Biography / Exhibitions
1931
On 19th July Marietta Gullotti was born in Berne, Switzerland
1951
graduated with her teaching licence from the teacher-training college
1957–1963
Further education in Art: a one-year course at the Berne School of Art; then training in engraving at Atelier 17 in Paris under Stanley William Hayter; this was followed by training at Max von Mülenen's school for painters in Berne
1961, 1962 and 1963
During these years Marietta Gullotti painted mainly schematic figures; she received the Swiss Federal Art Scholarship three times running
1961
Exhibited at the Swiss Art Exhibition held by the Lucerne Museum of Art, receiving favourable critique for her Personaggi
1963
Scholarship exhibition at the Kunsthaus in Aarau, Switzerland
1964
Stayed part of the winter in Paris. Discovered her environment. Back in Berne Marietta Gullotti created a series of paintings of fruit and vegetables; these works were first exhibited at the Kunstraum in Burgdorf, Switzerland, in 1988
Critical discussion was positive: view
1966
During Autumn Marietta Gullotti began to paint Africans: oil paintings in black, white and silver, the motifs of which were taken from photographs
1970/71
Marietta Gullotti worked for a longer period in a care centre for children affected by cerebral palsy. Following this, she travelled in Ghana and the Ivory Coast for two and a half months, gathering photographic material to use as a basis for further painting
1973
Exhibition entitled I am not Uncle Tom in the Berner Galerie in Berne
1975
A two-month trip to Mexico. Marietta Gullotti is impressed by Maya art and the energy, beauty and expressiveness of these works.
On her return to Berne the artist devotes her energy to drawings.
1979
a prolonged stay in Jerusalem and a trip into the Sinai area, leading to the production of tempera landscapes
1980
As an artist-guide for a holiday group Marietta Gullotti travelled to the Indonesian island of Bali. Until 2000 she worked for Baumeler Active Holidays as a tourist guide and art teacher.
Exhibition in the Galerie zur Ringmauer in Murten, Switzerland.
The critique in the Bernese newspaper Berner Zeitung was positive: view
1981
Marietta Gullotti travelled to Bali for a second time. Exposure to Bali culture proved to enrich her own work
1982
Studio exhibition in Berne
1983
First trip to India to the Ashram of Sai Baba who then becomes her master. The philosophy of the non-dual vision of the Vedanta world will from now on be essential in her work
1984
Exhibition of the Sinai paintings in the Galerie zur Ringmauer in Murten, Switzerland.
The Bernese newspaper Der Bund reported on it: view
1987
Parallel to a studio exhibition of her first India paintings, Marietta began to withdraw further from the "the Art trade" in an attempt to continue along her artistic way free of current artistic influences
1988
Second trip to Puttaparthi and to Sai Baba. She photographs the extraordinary landscape that has become the most relevant topic in her painting although she keeps working on portraits
1991
Studio exhibition in Berne
1992
A 2-month trip through southern India. She meets Sai Baba and Swami Premananda, who then becomes an additional master for her. More trips to India in the years to follow
1996 and 2004
Marietta Gullotti travelled to Mexico, where she met with her cousin Pedro Gullotti. These trips rendered further drawings. In 1997, dissatisfied with her earlier African works, she burnt most of them and started from scratch to re-create them. In an intensive work phase she produced works depicting, for the most part, women and children
2001
Exhibition of her works centred on the theme The World of Pictures and Pictures of the World in the gallery Forum Rubigen
2001
In October, twenty years after her last trip to Bali, she visited the Island once again
2005
Studio exhibition
2011
Mahasamadhi the Master
2012
Last trip to India to be present at the inauguration of the temple for Swami Premananda and to Samadhi, the resting place for Sai Baba
2018
Participation in the exhibition «Die Schülerinnen der Malschule Max von Mühlenen» («The students at the painting school from Max von Mühlenen»), ArchivArte Gallery, Berne >> about the exhibition
2019
in may: solo exhibition in the ArchivArte Gallery, Berne >> about the exhibition
Marietta Gullotti currently lives and works in Berne, Switzerland
Photo: Steffan Biffiger 2015