Hi, my name is Paola Machetta. I like to draw cityscapes, to photograph natural macros and to use them for abstract compositions. In the last years I discovered modern patchwork and improvisation as an expressive mean and now, the more I explore it, the more I’m fond of it!

I’m a full time engineer, a microscopist, and I have a professional relationship with images. This web site deals with what I do in the free time.

I’ve recently co-created with Giovanna Nicolai and Carla Beretta Quilt Improv Studio, a project that aims to connect improv quilters and to have fun together.

Exhibits

Invitational

• 2023 Verona Tessile, group exhibit of Italian quilt artists, Fresco museum Cavalcaselle, Verona, Italy.

Juried exhibitions

• 2024 Camouflage (SAQA Global Exhibition). Premiere exhibition location: International Quilt Festival, Houston Texas: October 2024. Further venues: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona: July 19th – September 28, 2025
• 2024 Abstraction: Textural Elements (SAQA Global Exhibition). Premiere exhibition location: Max Berk Textile Collection, Palatinate Museum, Heidelberg, Germany – opening: September 15, 2024
• 2024 WIDE HORIZONS IX (SAQA Regional Exhibition). Premiere Exhibition Location: Carrefour Européen du Patchwork, Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, France, September 12-15, 2024. 
• 2024 QUILTCON, one quilt selected in the category “Improv”, two quilts featured in the opening lecture by @davidowenhastings and Teresa Duryea Wong @third_floor_quilts who celebrated 20 modern quilts from around the world. Modern Patchwork – Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
• 2023 Quilts=Art=Quilts, Schweinfurth Art Center in Auburn, New York
• 2023 Color in context: Red (SAQA global exhibition). Premiere Exhibition Location: International Quilt Festival, Houston Texas: November 2 – 5, 2023
• 2023 QUILTCON, four quilts selected in the category “Improv” – Modern Patchwork – Atlanta, Georgia, USA
• 2022 WIDE HORIZONS VIII (SAQA Regional Exhibition). Premiere Exhibition Location: Carrefour Européen du Patchwork, Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, France. Further locations: Prague Patchwork Meeting Brno, 2023
• 2022 HAVEN (SAQA Global Exhibition). Premiere Exhibition Location: International Quilt Festival, Houston, Texas, USA, October 2022.
• 2022 BEST OF QUILTCON: traveling exhibit touring to the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, the “Airing of the Quilts” in Iowa and shows in Texas, Virginia, and Tennessee in USA
• 2022 QUILTCON, two quilts selected in the category “Improv” – Modern Patchwork – Phoenix, Arizona, USA
• 2021 QUILTS UNLIMITED, two quilts selected in the category “wall quilts” – Modern Patchwork – View Center for Art and Culture, Old Forge, NY, USA
• 2021 QUILTCON TOGETHER, two quilts selected in the category “Improv” – Modern Patchwork – USA

Solo and two-persons exhibitions

• 2022 DREAMSCAPES – Drawing – SpazioTrieste – Italy
• 2020 TAGLIAMENTO KING OF RIVERS, Modern Patchwork and photography – L’atelier dell’arte, Trieste
• DOPPIO TRASPORTO (walking on fabric fields), excerpt from solo gallery – Modern Patchwork – Patchworkvictim, Trieste. open since September 2019
• 2019 DOPPIO TRASPORTO (walking on fabric fields) – Modern Patchwork – L’atelier dell’arte, Trieste
• 2011 RITRATTI (portraits) – Drawing – Deja concert, Bergamas Theatre, Gradisca d’Isonzo
• 2010 RITRATTI (portraits) – Drawing – Deja concert, Cona Island
• 2008 SGUARDI DA QUA (water gaze) – Photography – with Emilio Rigatti. Atelier della Casa, Trieste
• 2006 FLOREAL – Photography – Atelier della Casa, Trieste
• 2005 NUTRIZIONE COSCIENTE (awareness in nutrition) – Photography – pictures from the book by Nevio Sgherla, Trieste
• 2000 FRUTTA FIORI E VECCHI MERLETTI (flower, fruits and embroidery) – Photography – APT, Trieste

Group exhibitions

• 2023 London Modern Quilt Guild Show – Canada
• 2023 THE FESTIVAL OF QUILTS – category Two Person quilts – Modern Patchwork – Birmingham, UK
• 2021 The tales of the needle and the brush – Modern Patcwhork – L’atelier dell’arte, Trieste
• 2021 THE FESTIVAL OF QUILTS – category Modern Quilts – Modern Patchwork – Birmingham, UK
• 2020 PATCHWORK AS ART TO SEW DURING TIMES – Modern Patchwork – Elba quilt guild, in collaboration with Quilt Italia – Portoferraio
• 2020 BEYOND THE FESTIVAL OF QUILTS – category Contemporary Quilts – virtual competition – Birmingham
• 2019 INDIGO… IL COLORE DEI SOGNI (Indigo… color of dreams) – Modern Patchwork – Abilmente, Vicenza
• 2017 TRATTO, RITRATTO E ASTRATTO (sign, portrait and abstraction) – Drawing – L’atelier dell’arte, Trieste
• 2012 MERCATINO DI NATALE (December art market) – Drawing – showroom Spazioviadellatesa, Trieste
• 2011 IMMAGINI, PENSIERI POETICI E FILOSOFICI (images, poetry and philosophy) – Drawing – Etnographic Museum, Trebiciano, Trieste
• 2008 SHO-TS – Photography – Music House, Trieste
• 2001 TRIESTE NEL BLU (Blue colors in Trieste city) – Photography – Photo contest, Trieste
• 2000 TRIESTE IN PALIO (Trieste challenge) – Photography – Ex-tempore, Hortis square, Trieste
• 2000 TRIESTE NEL BLU – (Blue colors in Trieste city) – Photography – Photo contest, Trieste
• 2000 GLI AMMUTINATI (The mutiny artist) – Photography – Miela Teatre, Trieste
• 1998 TROFEO ART GALLERY 2 (Art gallery trophy) – Photography – APT, Sistiana. My photo has received a recognition in the section “graphics”
• 1998 TRIESTE NEL BLU (Blue colors in Trieste city) – Photography – Photo contest, Trieste
• 1997 CANI, GATTI & COMPANY (cats, dogs and friends) – Photography – Photo contest by Trieste city Photo club

Science communication project – NANOWORLD

• 2005 BEJOND THE THRESHOLD OF THE VISIBLE – Photography – Pordenone
• 2005 BEJOND THE THRESHOLD OF THE VISIBLE – Photography – Science Festival, Genova
• 2004 SCIENCE FESTIVAL – Photography – Genova
• 2003 SCIENCE FESTIVAL – Photography – Genova
• 2003 EURONANOFORUM – Photography – international Congress on nanotechnology, Trieste
• 2002 INFM MEETING – Photography – Phisics of Matter National Congress – Bari
• 2001 “3000” – Photography – Il Giulia – Trieste
• 2001 “3000” – Photography – Trieste University – Trieste

Commissioned work

• 2009 illustrations for the book “MINIMA NATATORIA” (swimming stories) by Franco Machetta – Photography
• 2008 illustrations for the book “STORIA DI LILLA E ALTRI ANIMALI” (cats and dog stories) by Franco Machetta – Drawing
• 2006 illustrations for the book “ALIMENTAZIONE NATURALE TRA SOGNO E REALTA’” (natural food, dream and reality) by Nevio and Franca Sgherla, Settimocielo Editions – Photography
• 2005 illustrations for the book “NUTRIZIONE COSCIENTE” (awareness in nutrition) by Nevio Sgherla, Settimocielo Editions – Photography
• 2011 CD cover and illustrations for music album LAILA by Deja, produced by Acoustic Music Records – Drawing

Education

• M.Sc. Materials Engineering (Trieste University), focus on materials imaging techniques as optical and electron microscopy, x-ray tomography
• Scientific high school with specialization on drawing (5 years)
• I’ve studied modern and improv patchwork with Irene Roderick, Brenda Gael Smith, Sherri Lynn Wood, Joe Cunningham, Carolina Oneto, David Owen Hastings, Roberta Sperandio, Daria Blandina.

Memberships

SAQA member since 2022.

Modern Quilt Guild individual member since 2019 and moderator of the MQG virtual group “Beyond Borders”.

Featured work