The Ugly Duckling
Acrylic, Plaster on Canvas
12x16in
United Arab Emirates
Born in Milan, Roberta Volpe is an artist, designer, and educator whose work bridges theatre and fine art. She trained in Set Design at the Academy of Fine Arts of Brera and in Set and Costume Design at the Opera Academy of Verona, later gaining hands-on experience at Teatro alla Scala. During her master’s studies, she made her international debut at the Amazonas Theatre in Brazil with Puccini’s Suor Angelica.
After moving to London in 2013, she worked as a Scenic Artist at the Royal Opera House, contributing to major productions including The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, and Mamma Mia!. In 2018, her design work was recognised with the EVCOM Event Design Award.
Since opening her studio in 2019, Volpe has developed a distinctive visual language that merges theatrical sensibility with expressive, textural, impressionist elements. Now based in Dubai, she continues to create and teach, exploring the dialogue between space, light, and emotion.