Artist Bio: Madeleine Abignale is a senior and the Student Body President at Renaissance School in Charlottesville, Virginia. She has worked in Charlottesville as an English tutor, ESL (English Second Language) education volunteer, and barista. As a dedicated print-maker and India-ink enthusiast, Madeleine draws her inspiration from her passion for classic literature, choosing to work from a historical and literary perspective. Her work has been exhibited at Second Street Gallery, McGuffey Art Center, and The Aligheri, where she is also an editor and cruciverbalist (author of crosswords). She will study Comparative Literature at the University of St.Andrews come Autumn.
Artist Statement 2024: Over the past year I have worked intimately with the mediums of printmaking and inking, drawn to the elegance and clarity of monochromatic works. My inspiration for such a portfolio devolved from my deep passion for the history of English literature. EX LIBRIS, or “From the library of” is the traditional design of bookplates. Bookplates are hand-printed labels that are pasted in the front of a book to indicate ownership. Throughout time, famous authors and socialites have commissioned their own bookplate designs, including Robert Frost, Ernest Hemingway, Charles Dickens, Sylvia Plath, Lewis Caroll, and Maya Angelou. My work aims to both mimic this classic process of printmaking while also reimaging the design of bookplates by incorporating the mediums of India ink and micron.
