What inspired you to create artwork and become an artist? (events, feelings, experiences...)
As far back as I can remember, I have always loved drawing, painting, cutting, pasting, coloring, creating. No doubt this is partly genetic with many artists in my family, sculptors, painters, and musicians. I have always been fascinated by the history of art, and the creative process, and by the artist's ability to make their art evolve over time and through their experiences. For me, art responds to the absolute necessity of transcending oneself. Around 15 I first started painting at night in my room, inspired by the great painters of the 20th century, Picasso and Dali, but also by more confidential painters like Frazetta. A few years later I was completely caught up in Hip Hop culture and the graffiti genre. I looked at the tags and graffiti that decorated the walls along the RER which gave color to a gray and dreary landscape. I think this mixture of classical, contemporary and modern influences has shaped the way I paint and characterizes my painting.
What are the 3 aspects that differentiate you from other artists, making your work unique?
One of the particularities of my work consists of mixing techniques; acrylic, spray paint, Posca, markers, collages, pens, typex... it's not very academic - I'm totally self-taught - but only the result counts! In the end the layers overlap and depending on the lighting the paintings reveal different facets. This makes my work extremely modern but the themes covered are timeless.
What makes my work unique in my opinion is this mixture of modernity in the treatment of the work and classicism in the themes addressed. One of the reasons why I call my paintings representing Sneakers or weapons “still life”. My representations of cities are also unique and border on abstraction while unconsciously restoring the emotion specific to the city thanks to the colors and materials used. In the end, whatever the theme chosen, the message must be suggested and the heart of the viewer touched.
Where do you produce your works? At home, in a shared workshop or in your own workshop? And in this space, how do you organize your creative work?
For more than 20 years I have been based in Marseille and I paint in my studio in an urban environment that I love. My workshop is a real space dedicated to art, filled with paintings of course but also musical instruments (guitars, piano) and records that accompany the long hours of creation.
Does your work lead you to travel to meet new collectors, for fairs or exhibitions? If so, what does it mean to you?
I travel a lot and have always been attracted to the energy of megacities. We often find collections inspired by cities in my exhibitions. Barcelona, New York, Los Angeles are places that I particularly like and where I would like to exhibit soon.
Do you have a format or medium that you are most comfortable with? if yes, why ?
I like generous formats (100x100 and more) which allow me to exploit materials and light. I almost always paint on canvas and sometimes on wood. I no longer graffiti the walls although I did a lot of “lettering” during my graffiti period. On the other hand, I integrated the lettering into the tables themselves and it is not uncommon for the background of the tables to be entirely composed of "EFKA9" signatures...
How do you imagine the evolution of your work and your career as an artist in the future?
I have never produced as much as in the last 3 years, and I have organized exhibitions in very different places (concept store, stores, boxing club, photo studios, villas, pop-up galleries, businesses, bookstore, brewery). All these experiences were fascinating, however the most striking exhibitions remain those carried out from 2013 to 2016 in Rome in the Agostiniana gallery, Plaza Del Popolo.
Over the last 10 years I have wanted to confront my work with very different audiences, not necessarily connoisseurs or investors, to measure the emotion they felt with my works. The enthusiasm I felt provided me with the energy to work tirelessly on my art in order to reveal my deep nature.
I now aspire to expand this circle of amateurs towards a national and international audience, which is one of the reasons which pushed me to register on Armajeur.
If you could create a famous work in the history of art, which one would you choose? And why ?
If I could have created a work I would have liked to leave my mark in the Lascaux cave, undoubtedly the first fresco in the history of art!
If you could invite any famous artist (dead or alive) to dinner, who would it be? How would you suggest he spend the evening?
As for dinner with a famous painter, I would happily organize an evening in my studio with 3 famous painters: Banksy, Picasso and Leonardo da Vinci. This would be a unique opportunity to abolish time and confront 3 absolute geniuses whose work frees itself from the era in which they lived while being part of a long tradition of painters. Art is a door to immortality...
Olimpia Gaia Martinelli
