Issue #117

Alba Clemente

La Musa

Alba Clemente was born and raised in Amalfi with one passion: Theater!
She studied scenography and worked as an actress in Napoli and Rome.
She leaves in NY since 1981 with her husband, painter Francesco Clemente, 2 daughters, 2 sons, 2 granddaughters and 2 dogs.
From few years Alba has rediscovered her early passion for set and costume design. She has been asked to create costumes for New York City Opera, Karole Armitage and Jey Sheib.
She also helped to design the lobby of the Lexington Hotel in Manhattan.

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What do you do in your life (work and fun)?

For work I design sets and costumes for Theater, Ballet and Opera. 

For fun I design sets and costumes for Theater, Ballet and Opera.

What made you leave Italy and chose NYC?

I left Italy following my husband and his narrative of a traveling artist, hovering between 3 worlds.

Before landing in NY we leaved in India for 4 years and we still go there very often.

Please share your best memory in the City.

In 34 years in this city so embracing and generous, I got so many special memories. I try to choose one: when I sang “Una notte a Napoli”, one of the two songs I wrote for the Pink Martini, at Carnegie Hall, one of the most beautiful and renowned theatre in the city.

What made you choose this specific location and outfit?

Alexo told me about his approach to this project as an architect-photographer and I thought about the stage as a ritual space through history, so I choose the “teatrino simbolico”: a miniature theater I build inside my husband studio in Greenpoint. The outfit is a dress with Peruvian motives inspired by the “ayahuasca” (brew used as a traditional spiritual medicine in ceremonies in Amazonian Peru) designed by Ludovica Amati.

Your thought about this project, ITALIANY.US

The project is very interesting and it will be even more if extended to the Italians around the world. In fact everywhere you go, even in the most remote places on earth, you will find an Italian or two! There is no doubt we are navigators.

How would you describe being an ambassador of the italian style/culture abroad?

I am very proud to represent the ITALIAN-NESS in the world reminding our most special qualities: elegance, lightness, cordiality, mercurial Intelligence…

And some good cooking… doesn’t hurt!

  • Shots

    141

  • Time

    180 mins

  • City

    New York

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A visual celebration of Italians working, living and loving in NY and in the US