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What pushed you to approach art and to become an artist? (Events, feelings, experiences ......)
I remember my first real drawing around the age of 10. Sitting at my little desk, a pencil, a sheet of paper and a mirror, I drew a self-portrait, which I still have.
I've always liked to create and imagine: improvising myself as a photographer by staging my cousins, hosting a fake radio show, creating biographies of those around me...
Then, it's a long story, I put a lid on this bubbling creativity and it was once very adult that I turned my life upside down to become an artist.
What techniques and themes have you tried so far in your artistic career?
I tried charcoal, pastel, watercolour, oil, collage and acrylic. There are so many techniques and materials yet to be discovered. Experimentation and curiosity is part of my life as an artist. On the other hand, I don't try the themes, they are the ones that impose themselves on me because my approach is very sincere and intimate.
What are the 3 aspects that distinguish you from other artists and make your work unique?
I am often told that my painting is original. The themes are universal and I think whatever the idea, it has already been painted by someone. What makes a painting original is just that the person painting it is unique.
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Where does your inspiration come from?
Inspiration seems to fall from the sky at any time, that's why I have a multitude of small notebooks to write down because it goes away just as quickly. For me inspiration is the meeting of two sensibilities which allows the other to hatch. Often it is the words that make the click, in songs, films...
What is the intention of your art? What visions, sensations or feelings do you want to evoke in the viewer?
I am a vector. I paint the difficulty of living and what disturbs me in the world. That the viewer recognizes his feelings and his story in my paintings, that he feels less alone, that's what I'm looking for.
What is the process of creating your work? Is it spontaneous or is there a long process of preparation (technique, inspiration from art classics or other)?
It is a process that is both spontaneous and long. My images are a long maturation of everything I see and feel. I have lots of ideas in my head that I test by making photo montages from my own photos or from photos I have searched for. It's quite a long process. And once my image is ready, I paint it.
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What techniques do you prefer? If yes, can you explain it?
My favorite technique is acrylic and especially layering and glazing. I like this surprising, uncontrolled and subtle side of it.
Are there any innovations in your work? Can you tell us which ones?
I don't think my painting is innovative in itself. It is for me because I like to learn, whether old techniques or new products. Reflecting and researching are my driving force and my weakness: I have to try not to get too carried away or scatter myself.
Do you have a preferred format or medium? If yes, why ?
I mainly paint on canvas. I assume I follow trends without doing so on purpose; for example, at the moment, I am painting on wood and rediscovering paper.
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Where do you produce your work? At home, in a shared or private studio? How is your production organized in this space?
I have a studio next to the house and another place to store my paintings. I work one painting at a time like an obsession. It's only recently that I started working on several paintings at the same time.
Does your work lead you to travel, meet new collectors, take part in exhibitions or presentations? If so, what do you get out of it?
I love the solitude of my studio and inner journeys. But I also like this moment when I take the road to a place that I do not know and where I will meet these essentials who organize exhibitions, other artists and lovers or curious about art. These meetings are always enriching and sometimes surprising.
How do you imagine the evolution of your work and your image as an artist in the future?
I hope that I will paint until the end and I imagine a large idyllic workshop. I hope that I will evolve in my technique which I would like to be more abstract and freer. I work in parallel in textile art and I would like to be able to give it more time and why not, learn other techniques. I would love to create collective works with other artists. My image as an artist doesn't matter to me, what I want is not to be bored and to live from my art.
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What is the theme, style or technique of your latest work of art?
My latest work is in acrylic on canvas and speaks of a theme that pursues me: confinement.
Can you tell us about your most important exhibition experiences?
Certainly the first exhibition because it is a question of showing oneself for the first time.
If you could create one famous work of art history, which one would you choose? and why choose it?
It would be Gas by Edward Hopper for what she has of cinematography and storytelling.
Olimpia Gaia Martinelli