Art Medals: Microcosms of Meaning
Erminia Guarino 's art medals represent a unique form of expression, where art and concept merge within a mere few centimeters of diameter. Each medal is born from a creative process that combines artisanal expertise with symbolic exploration, resulting in works that thrill both the eye and the touch.
Cast in bronze or noble metals , these miniatures are not simple commemorative objects, but true portable sculptures , full of meaning. The meticulous care with which Erminia follows every stage of the process—from modeling to casting—gives each piece a unique character.
Internationally acclaimed, Erminia Guarino represented Italy in FIDEM – the International Federation of Medal Art , exhibiting her creations alongside the greatest contemporary masters of medal art.
These works, perfect for collectors , institutions , or commemorative events, combine Italian artistic tradition and contemporaneity, telling stories through symbols, textures, and materials.
Tokyo "Beyond The Form"
XXXVI FIDEM Congress – Tokyo 2020
An abstract bronze work by Erminia Guarino, exhibited in Tokyo with FIDEM. "Beyond The Form" is an art medal that transcends matter.
“ Tokyo – Beyond The Form ” is a unique art medal created by Erminia Guarino , cast in bronze and measuring 150 mm in diameter. This work represents a refined synthesis of form, matter, and abstraction, in which every detail challenges the physical limits of the metal to evoke a message that goes beyond the visible.
Presented in Tokyo as part of FIDEM , the medal is an emblematic example of Guarino's sculptural language, in which concepts take shape through surfaces, rhythms, and voids. Abstraction, far removed from any figurative representation, becomes an expressive tool for narrating a sensitive and interior experience.
The work engages with the space and the viewer through fluid lines , harmonious volumes , and tactile textures , conveying a sense of openness and transition, as suggested by the title itself: Beyond The Form . It is a medal that invites contemplation, offering a symbolic interpretation of the transcendence of boundaries, both artistic and cultural.
This bronze medal is much more than a commemorative object: it is a contemporary miniature sculpture , capable of representing Italy on the international scene of medal art.
"Astronaut, Woman, and Mother" A Tribute to Samantha Cristoforetti
XXXVII FIDEM Congress – Florence 2023
For the prestigious XXXVII FIDEM International Congress , held in Florence in October 2023 , the artist Erminia Guarino was selected to exhibit a bronze art medal with strong symbolic value. The work, 130 mm in diameter , is dedicated to astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti and her Minerva mission, as a tribute to female courage and humanity's continuous push into the unknown.
Exhibited at the National Library of Florence , the medal celebrates space exploration through a refined sculptural language, in which form and material evoke a sense of adventure, determination, and discovery. Guarino's work, cast in bronze , stands out for its balance between evocative power and visual synthesis, paying homage to a female figure who embodies the contemporary spirit of scientific exploration.
Tribute to Andrea Michele Dall'Armi
XXXVIII FIDEM Congress – Munich 2025
On the occasion of the XXXVIII International Congress of FIDEM , scheduled to be held in Munich in 2025 , the artist Erminia Guarino presents a new bronze art medal , with a diameter of 140 mm , inspired by the event that gave rise to one of the most iconic celebrations in the world: the Oktoberfest of 1810 .
The work pays homage to the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen , the occasion that gave rise to Munich's first popular festival. Guarino interprets this founding event through an abstract and symbolic language, creating a sculptural composition that evokes the collective sense of celebration, the historical vitality, and the Bavarian spirit of identity.
Crafted from cast bronze , the medal exalts the material's strength and delicacy, offering a visual and tactile experience that transcends the celebratory dimension to become an artistic memory . The modeled surfaces narrate, with signs and rhythms, the encounter between tradition and transformation, between past and present.
Exhibited among the works selected for the FIDEM 2025 congress at the State Collection of Antiquities in Königsplatz , the medal consolidates Erminia Guarino 's presence on the international scene of contemporary medal art , offering a profound and original reading of European cultural history.
"Movimento Tra Spazio e Materia"
Medaglia D'arte Ceramica
Artista Ceramista 2022