About

Cecilia Sammarco is an Italian illustrator and visual artist based in Rome. 

She attended MiMaster Illustrazione in editorial illustration and graduated in Architecture at Sapienza University of Rome.
She is interested in cultures, myths, folklore and naive art. Music is her best inspirational source, especially afrobeat and funky vibes. Cecilia loves the dancefloor.

After a spinal cord injury, she became quadriplegic and created TetraPride, starting to draw again with paralyzed hands.

Selected Collaborations

UNIQLO, Vogue.it, Istituto Italiano di Cutura Bogotà, Espacio KB, Tedx Leverano, Miscelanea Barcelona, Le Dimore del Quartetto, ISDIN, Condé Nast, Cambi Aste, Galleria Rubin, Fondazione Brivio Sforza, Mulieris Magazine, La Repubblica, Domani Editoriale…

Selected Publications

Vogue Italia, El Espectador, Ansa Latina, Artribune, Brillo, Siamomine, GRLS.it.

Text by Angelina Guerrero:

Cecilia Sammarco

Born in Cosenza, Italy, 1989 | Lives and works in Rome

Cecilia Sammarco is an Italian illustrator and visual artist whose work bridges the vibrant worlds of art, culture, and music. Based in Rome, Cecilia’s artistic journey is profoundly influenced by her passion for folklore, mythology, naïve art, and the pulsating energy of afrobeat and funky rhythms. Her love for the dance floor resonates in her work, where color and movement merge to tell stories of joy, individuality, and connection.

After a life-altering spinal cord injury in 2019 left her quadriplegic, Cecilia defied the odds and reinvented her artistic practice. Using a custom wristband originally designed for tetraplegics to eat, she adapted it into a tool for painting and drawing, reclaiming her creativity in the face of physical limitations. Her determination and ingenuity gave birth to TetraPride, a project that celebrates life, resilience, and artistic expression after her cervical spinal injury.

Cecilia’s art draws deeply from her cultural heritage, exploring the symbolic power of objects, design, and material culture. She transforms the people she paints into living symbols, capturing not only their physical appearance but the essence of their spirit. Her vibrant, expressive use of color creates a world where joy and design intertwine seamlessly with the rhythms of everyday life.

Painting has become not only a means of artistic expression for Cecilia but also an act of autonomy and self-discovery. Through her work, she navigates themes of identity and existence, celebrating the intensity and beauty of life with every stroke.

Cecilia has collaborated with international brands such as Uniqlo, and her work has been featured in renowned publications including Vogue Italia, Mulieris Magazine, and El Espectador. In 2022, she took the TEDx stage to share her story and artistic philosophy under the theme Desires shape our identity, influencing the course of life by following inclinations, developing potential, and determining choices and directions.