Post-terrona and her Soil.
This project, comprising 13 digitally composed watercolor images accompanied by narrative text, explores the imaginary transformation of the Southern Italian women historically labeled as “terronas.” Once marginalized and defined by labor-intensive rural tasks, in the story the terronas’ deep connection to the land, nature, and family becomes a source of transformation, resilience and strength. The artwork traces their journey from constrained, stereotypical roles to accomplished “post-terronas” that together built their cultural identity and influence. Through ancestral knowledge and a profound bond with the land, in my story “post-terronas” offer solutions to contemporary global challenges, such as environmental preservation, the creation of thriving communities and the formation of fulfilling, joyful lifestyles. This project aims to be a healing artifact—a narrative involving painting and imagination meant to promote well-being and inspire activism. By offering visuals and stories of transformation, it encourages viewers to perceive themselves as capable of enacting positive change in their communities through connections with human and more-than-human beings.
Post-terronas live in the south of Italy.
They descend from the terronas.
The terronas were short-tempered women, often subject to sexualization.
They did not have political authority because men considered them to be too irrational and emotional to wield social influence.
The terronas exerted their authority in the confines of the domestic space, where they took care of their husbands and children.
Then things changed.
The Terronas discovered a way to transform their fervent emotions into a renewable green energy source by creating profound connections with the soil of their territories and its underground beings.
This bond enabled them to sustainably cultivate and care for the plants and animals of their land while also discovering new ways to connect with each other and the wider ecosystem.
As a result, they produced abundance and joyful ways of living.
The terronas transformed the expectation of providing pleasure to men into the skill of experiencing exeptional pleasure themselves, developing the superpower of feeling intense sensorial enjoyment through their connection to the Mediterrenean environment.
Nowadays these skills are used by post-terronas to safeguard their environment and have a happy, fulfilled life.
