Maria Lai (Ulassai, 27 September 1919 – Cardedu, 16 April 2013) is today one of the great names of the international art scene.
Her artworks are in important museums world-wide and in some of the most prestigious private collections. One of the most unique and profound voices of Italian post-war art, Maria Lai has articulated her artistic practice through various media including weaving, embroidery, drawing and writing. Each work reflects the intense echo of an ancient relationship that recalls the dawn of narration and poetry. With Legarsi alla montagna (1981) and the involvement of the entire town of Ulassai, she created the first relational art work in Italy, distorting the traditional relationship between the author and the spectator of the work, transforming the public into the true architect of the artistic act.
The artist was celebrated in 2017 both at the 57th Venice Biennial and at Documenta 14, in the two Athens and Kassel venues, and in 2018 she was the protagonist of the important monogram Il filo e l’infinito at Palazzo Pitti in Florence.