Olga Carolina (Carol) Rama was born in Turin on April 17th 1918 to Marta Pugliaro and Amabile Rama. Her childhood was serene thanks to the comfortable conditions of her family. Her father owned a thriving auto body shop in the city center, in Via Digione 17.
Carol's first encounter with the art world took place in the same years at the atelier of the painter Gemma Vercelli, also located in Via Digione, where she often posed as a model and became familiar with painting tools.
“I started painting when I was fourteen and have never stopped. [...] Each of us must realise something, otherwise we feel extinguished, at least that’s what I believe. [...] Each of us has a tropical disease within, which we try to remedy. I remedy with painting”.
At the beginning of the 1920s, her father’s business started to have financial difficulties, culminating in its collapse during the great economic crisis of 1929. After a brief admission to a psychiatric clinic in Turin due to mental illness, her mother Marta opened a small shop selling fashion and novelty items to support the family.
The year 1942 was particularly difficult for Carol, marked by the premature death of her father, likely by suicide, to whom she had been deeply attached.
Carol left Turin in 1942 to escape the city's bombings during World War II. Soon after, she decided to move to Via Napione 15, where she lived for the rest of her life. The top-floor apartment, designed by engineer Ponzano in the early 20th century, was both her home and studio until her death.
Originally furnished in a bourgeois style, the apartment underwent a radical transformation over time. Numerous objects, mostly gifts received as a sign of friendship and esteem, animate the environment and they are the witness of the existence of the artist. Through their presence, it is possible to access an intimate and private dimension, full of stories that reveal a lot about her relationships: Edoardo Sanguineti, Andy Warhol, Man Ray, Luciano Anselmino, Lea Vergine, Giancarlo Salzano, Massimo Mila, Carlo Mollino. These are just few of the people the artist loved to surround herself with.
Carol shaped the apartment to suit her taste and needs, crafting a labyrinth of memories within its darkened walls isolated from the outside world.
Today we consider this place as the final masterpiece of the artist. Her home remains a sanctuary of creativity and memory, offering an intimate glimpse into her soul.
Carol passed away on September 24th, 2015.
Photo Stefan Giftthaler