Poster advertising an exhibition titled 'Il Lago e Il Cielo,' featuring Italian and Swedish landscapes, held from July 16 to July 30, 2025, by artist Maura Tavares, with painted oil artworks, and includes opening hours, location details at Villa Bernocchi in Premeno.

THE LAKE AND THE SKY

My major solo exhibition in 2025 was held in Villa Bernocchi, close to Lago Maggiore in Italy. I have been in the area almost every year for the past 30 years, and have formed a strong bond with the nature and the culture of the region. It was an opportunity that really made sense, artistically and emotionally, to display my Italian and Swedish landscapes in the beautiful setting of this grand villa.

I called the exhibition Il lago e il cielo, The Lake and the Sky, which more or less sums up the content of the paintings. Italy and Sweden may seem like countries with little in common geographically, but the landscapes in the north of Italy seem almost Scandinavian at times, and the transition between the countries was seamless when rendered in oil.

Wall decorated with multiple framed landscape and nature paintings arranged in a gallery style.
Room with wooden floor, cream walls, and artwork. Includes a window with sunlight, a small table beneath the window, a wall-mounted heater, a speaker, a television, and three small framed pictures.
Room with three landscape paintings on the wall, a red patterned armchair, black music stand, wooden floor, and white walls.
View through a doorway into a living room with two red armchairs, a fireplace, and four framed pictures on the wall.
Interior view of a spiral staircase with a black iron railing, leading up to a window on the upper floor, with a decorative white ceiling.
A three-panel painting of a cloudy sky with rays of sunlight, placed on a white marble fireplace mantel in a room with wooden flooring.
Children sitting at a table with art supplies in a room, adults standing and a woman reading music sheets, with paintings on the walls and large windows in the background.
People in an art gallery or studio, with artwork on the wall, working on art projects, and art supplies on a wooden table.
An art studio in a room with a woman sitting on a red and white patterned armchair, reading a book, with artwork of a girl on a canvas in the foreground and paintings of cloudy skies on the walls.
A triptych painting of a cloudy sky over a grassy landscape at sunset or sunrise, with dark silhouetted hills in the distance.
A painting of blue sky with white fluffy clouds.
A painting of a woman with long, flowing hair resting her head and arms on a green surface, with a body of water, mountains, and clouds in the background.
A framed landscape painting of water, land, and sky with mountainous scenery in muted tones.
A painting of a pregnant woman with curly blonde hair sitting on a yellow chair outdoors, wearing a long white dress, with a cloudy sky in the background.
Triptych painting of a serene lakeside scene with large trees, water, and lush greenery under a partly cloudy sky.
A landscape painting of a large river or body of water flanked by hills and mountains under a blue sky with scattered clouds.
Oil painting of a serene stream with a leaning tree overhanging water, surrounded by lush green foliage.
Painting of a bright blue sky with white, gray, and fluffy clouds, and a dark treeline at the bottom.
Oil painting of a bird's nest with eggs surrounded by foliage and branches.
Oil painting of a cloudy sky over a dark landscape.
A landscape painting of mountains with a body of water in the foreground, clouds in the sky during sunset or sunrise.
A painting of a leafless tree with brown branches on a muted landscape background.
Painting of a leafless tree on a grassy landscape with a subtle sky background.
A painting of a scenic lake view with mountains in the background, a partly cloudy sky, and a table set with a bottle, a vase with flowers, a tray with two cups, a small bowl, and silverware in the foreground.

Arranging this exhibition was a long project, with months of painting, dismounting and transportation of canvases and stretcher bars from my Stockholm studio to the little village of Premeno in the Italian Alps. On location an energetic team helped me assemble and hang the paintings.

Art studio with various paintings and art supplies, including a large painting of a woman with a bird, a curled-up woman, a landscape, and botanical artworks, along with painting supplies and a cart.
Metal hooks, rings, and fasteners in black and silver containers on a wooden surface with books and a framed picture nearby.
Bundle of wooden picture frames and a rolled-up tapestry or poster with a woman on it, laid out on the floor.
Long cardboard box taped shut with black and silver tape, resting on a wooden table in a cluttered room.
A white FedEx delivery van parked on a street with the front wheel on the sidewalk, next to a silver car. The van has the FedEx logo on the hood and a cardboard delivery box in front of it. A bush and a house with a brick corner and a window are in t
A woman is working on a large framed art piece or canvas on a wooden table in a well-lit room with French doors. There are multiple flags behind her, including the European Union, Italy, and other countries. The room has a polished wooden floor and p
A woman is working on framing a painting of a pregnant woman sitting outdoors, with three flags - Italy, EU, and another behind her, near large windows with open doors and green trees outside.
Young woman standing indoors in front of large window with flags behind her, holding a long cylindrical object on her shoulders, with a painting and frame on the table in the foreground.
A young woman sits on the edge of a large wooden table in a room with light-colored walls. Behind her, there are three flags—possibly the British, European Union, and Italian flags—standing in front of a window with closed blinds. Several framed pain
A room with a young girl sitting on a wooden table near windows with open blinds, several framed paintings propped against chairs and the wall, a large flat-screen TV mounted on the wall, and a set of stacked chairs. The room has Wooden flooring and
An art gallery room with four paintings leaning against walls and window, a black chair with a tool set on it, and hardwood floors.
An art gallery room with large windows, several paintings leaning against the wall, and a small wooden table in the center. The paintings include a woman with a bird, a landscape with mountains, a sky with clouds, and a river among trees.
Two young men are arranging furniture in a bright, spacious room with wooden flooring, beige walls, and large windows, one carrying a couch while the other pushes a vacuum cleaner.
Four people setting up or adjusting artwork on a wall in a living room with a fireplace, parquet flooring, and two armchairs.
Three people hanging a large painting on a white wall in a living room with wooden floors, red patterned chairs, and a fireplace.
Three people hanging artwork on a wall in a room with a wooden floor, using ladders. One person is on a ladder securing a piece, while the others assist or arrange artwork below.
Four people are hanging and arranging multiple artwork pieces on a wall in a room. One person is on a ladder, one on a step stool, and two standing on the floor.
Three people are standing on ladders near a wall with framed artwork; one person is on a stepladder, another on a taller ladder, and the third on a small step stool, arranging the artwork.
A breakfast scene with a croissant on a saucer, a cup of cappuccino with frothy milk and cocoa powder, on a wooden table near a window with a view of green trees and outdoor seating.