featured Artists

Masaki Hirokawa’s wide range of activities includes graphic design, smartphone app development, interactive movie production, and website development. They also write technical articles on graphic design for graphic design magazines and reference books. Born in Toyama, Japan in 1981. Started web design and programming self-study in 1997 at the age of 16. Went to Tokyo to work as a web designer/DTP operator in 1999. Got involved in the development of mission-critical systems as a system engineer/programmer in 2002 at the age of 21. Switched to working as a freelancer, working on web design, programming, graphic design, and producing interactive movies in 2005. Won the Grand Prize for the MTV SO-ZO Competition “Web Screensaver Category” in 2006. Authored multiple reference books while submitting works to graphic design magazines in 2008. Got involved in the development of multiple video games as a technical artist in 2011. Went independent to start a smartphone app business in 2013. Developed an app that was eventually downloaded more than 20 million times and is still being used by more than 3 million users worldwide. Returned to creating graphic design, and participating in exhibitions in Italy, Spain, the UK, Greece, and more in 2019. Was awarded the “ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2021” by ITSLIQUID Group in 2022. Continue to create graphic design while managing smartphone apps.

INTERVIEW with Masaki Hirokawa

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Masaki Hirokawa, who participated during three exhibitions of RenovArt | 100 Artists for the Future in Matera at Spazio Opera Gallery and at Lega Navale Italiana with his works: "A Regenerated World", "The Justice of Equality", "Kuan Yin Bodhisattva", "Karma", "Avatar" and "Distance"

Carmela Loiacono - Could you introduce yourself and your art, please? 

Masaki Hirokawa - Both of my grandfathers were miya-daiku (shrine carpenters), who were hired to build shrines and temples. My mother was blessed with an artistic bloodline. Having grown up with the adoring love of my grandparents, I first began designing on the night of my grandfather's wake, when I was 16 years old. Ever since then, over the course of 25 years, I have remained steadfastly on this path.

My reasons for choosing this family as my home reside in the two themes of my soul—"the harmony of reciprocal entities which, at first glance, are in conflict," and "the coalescence of all attributes and senses of values"—as well as the concepts of "equality" and "indiscrimination," which are often mentioned as the theses of my artwork.

Now, however, having learned so much from "multipolarization," which lies beyond the trials and ordeals produced by polarity, what I can raise as new themes are seamless transitions between multiple dimensions, the interspersion and scattering of the consciousness, and the completely indiscriminate heart of love.

Into this world are born many Buddhas and Gautamas, and while it is a tumultuous age we live in, I feel blessed to have been born in such a time filled with many teachers and learnings.

In the process of my life, there is artwork, and in the process of creating art, there exists a microcosm of life. One method of intuitively receiving the signals of the soul is to create, and each and every occurrence of fate or chance that is generated by such creation is, to me, a beloved treasure.

C. L. - I know that you have a range of activities includes graphic design, smartphone app development, interactive movie production, and website development, and writer for magazines and reference books. Please, let us know how you combine all these activities with your art?

M. H. - Since the age of 21, I have been involved in the development of core systems as a system engineer, and even now, I have continued with my personal business in developing smartphone apps— an industry that does not allow for errors or failures— for 10 years now. No matter how hard I try to do precise and accurate work, approximately 0.05% of users will be affected by system  crashes, and in that meager and insignificant number, I experience the unmistakable distance that exists between the truth and humanity, and am constantly afflicted by feelings of shame and disgrace.

The cumulative file size of a graphic artwork is comparable to that of a short film, a work of construction and management spanning several hundred layers. The regulations and classifications which govern the naming of each layer conform to the structuralization methods learned from my experience in system development, and at times, I may utilize software bugs to expand some features (in programming language, these are called "hacks," while at other times, they may also be called forms of "black magic").

Moreover, as a matter of courtesy or manners toward the photographer or model, I use the method of non-destructive processing or editing, which retains the original content in its entirety. Consequently, it leads me to executing so many perplexing, puzzle piece-like minute adjustments that I start forget if I'm coming or going. The possibility of reversing any edit is a true benefit of digital media, but it is at the same time a drawback as well. I decided to use this as an advantage instead, and chose a style of remaining resolutely stupid throughout the process. I am confident that I can make things even more extremely complicated.

Inherently, my nature is completely the opposite of the logical, strictly regulated and disciplined style mentioned earlier. For these past 25 years, I have lived a lifestyle that was severely bound and restrained. However, in the process of taking detours, I have met with many benefactors and specialists, each of whom were masters in their particular field and under which I learned. I am who I am today because of them. The theme of my future is to overcome my past, cut the threads which control myself, and find a way to stand upon a new starting line.

C. L. - Where do you find inspiration for your works? 

M. H. - I often receive inspiration after visiting a church or shrine. Moreover, I am also visited by fresh images when walking briskly to get something to eat. After completing an artwork, I will gaze upon it objectively, and in that moment, I will understand an aspect of the world, and will comprehend "humanity."

C. L. - When is your favorite time of day to create?

M. H. - I often begin working on a new piece of artwork in the morning, when my tangible consciousness is still half-asleep, accelerate my pace from about noon until evening, and will usually finish it at night before I go to bed. I enjoy working on graphic art at any hour, but late at night, when it is quiet and there is no natural light, is the best time for doing the meticulous work of adjusting colors and tones, and I particularly like working at this time of the day. I also love those moments at daybreak, when the air is fresh and perfectly clear and tranquil.

C. L. - Does art help you in other areas of your life? 

M. H. - Precious life experiences become learnings for the self, and those learnings, through the expression of art, become realizations for the soul. My relationships with people have almost always come through the act of creation, and so, my first steps forward as a human were begun last year, at the age of 40. During times of confusion and suffering, art served as the compass of my life, blessed me with many wonderful meetings of chance and fate, and happiness, and thanks to art, I still manage to cling to life in this world. From now on, I hope to continue being involved in artistic expression, so that I may help provide guidance to others who are lost and suffering, just as I was.

C. L. - What's the purpose or goal of your work? 

M. H. - I believe that the goal of my artwork is the "purification" of the world. I feel that the goal to which I should aspire, as well as this life of mine, are like the shimmer given off by heat. And I believe that the act of exhausting every last ounce of energy while I live will make my birth a worthwhile endeavor. I will continue to give thanks to each and every day that I breathe, and face the essence of my work, plainly and simply, daily, just as the beat of my heart pulses like clockwork.

C. L. - If you think at yourself, where do you see your art going in a couple of years?

M. H. - Since the end of 2019, I began producing graphic art, managing to scrape along while finding time in between my regular work. The fact is, however, that I have only managed to devote less than two years to producing graphic art, and I am not certain whether I have even finished the mere warmup stage of such a career.

What I am certain of, however, is that both my work and I myself exist as a mirror held up to this world, and within two or three years, should become brighter, and more colorful.

Even if my artwork will eventually lose their master, I pray, with all of my heart, that the traces of my existence will quietly take root in this earth, and the tiny fragments of myself will soar away to that great, expansive sky.

Exhibitions & Prizes

She has had three seperate exhibitions in Trondheim 

Digital exhibition  “Hysterica” 19/30nov-2021 and “Visceral “28june-4.july 2022 at M.A.D.S art gallery based in Milano & Fuerteventura 

Summer Exhibition  18/19 -25/26 june 2022 at Gallery Q In Bratsberg

“Borderless” 6/9 aug 2022 at Verse Gallery in Oslo and also at the same period Manila Phillipines by Norwegian cultural center 

She has also beeing part of the biggest EARTH day event in 2022 -TOMATZIN  -A call for mother earth

The International Prize Caravaggio Master of art 20. april 2002 for the painting “salt of the Earth in The National Museum of science &technology in Milano by Francesco S Russo

Surreality 5/21oct by Arteom Gallery 

ART SHOPPING Caroussel de Louvre  21/23 oct 2022 Representedby Artio Gallery and Francesco Saverio Russo.

Intercoming Lines Group Exhibition  4/6 nov 2022 in the European Museum of Modern Art  in Barcelona by Artio Gallery 

International Prize Barcelona with the painting Good Karma in The Museum of Modern Art 19,n0v 2022 by Francesco Saverio Russo

The best Modern &Contemporary artist London Prize withe the painting “Fairytale Forest”7. dec 2022 in “Asylum Chapel” in London

The Award Collectors Choice  20 Global Talents 2022  published in the magazine Artour International .

RenovArt | 100 Artists for the Future: November 03-30, 2022 at Lega Navale Matera; December 05, 2022 - January 03, 2023 at Spazio Opera Gallery in Matera. 

Books

You can find her work in European Art Guide 2022 curated by Gina Cinnamoni 

Upcoming Books 

Artist of today and Tomorrow 3 curated by Monica Ferrarini 

Anthology V1 curated by Guto Ajayu Culture 

 ARTISTIC STATEMENT

“Art is about sharing your magical world and let people be a part of it. Art brings people together and gies them a breath,a moment of poetic stillness.

The world needs art."

INTERVIEW with Camilla Fransrud

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Camilla Fransrud, who participated during the two events of RenovArt | 100 Artists for the Future, from November 03 to 30, 2022 in Matera at Lega Navale Matera and from December 05, 2022 to January 03, 2023, at Spazio Opera Gallery with the works: "Stillness of the storm" and "You excist in the light".   Furthermore, she partecipated during the exhibition Shapes of Nature, from June 01 to 30, 2023 at Spazio Opera Gallery in Matera with her works:  "New Dawn" and "The Forgotten Land".

Carmela Loiacono - Could you introduce yourself and tell us how you started in the Art's please?

Camilla Fransrud - Hello, my name is Camilla Fransrud. I  am contemporary painter and photographer, self taught in both artforms and I am based in Trondheim

The dream of beeing an artist started in my art classes at High School. We had a really good  art teacher.

He was an Icelandic visual artist and sculptur, Erlingur Jonsson was his name.He was a great inspiration to me, full of life and knowledge. He wanted me to pursue my dream about becoming an artist.

But it took me many years before I got the courage to show my art. I had my  first exhibition as a painter at The Autumn Market at Culture Tribune in Trondheim 2019. From there I started my art Journey.

C. L. - Since childhood you had a deep and unique passion for photography? Could you please, talk about this passion and how you discovered your passion for painting?

C. F. - From that moment I held my camera in my hands for the first time, a connection and a instant lovestory was born.

I looked through the camera lence and it changed how I saw the world. When I was photographing I felt that I could fill the voids of silence by telling a story without using words.

Behind the camera you are free and for me it is a state of mind ,a meaning to life and a place where you can just be you and that is enough. Art and photograpy are quite simular.It is about telling a story,.to share a feeling ,make people connect with the art and make them think.It is about sharing poetry without using words!

My passion for painting was born through the camera lens... I have always drawn, and I wanted to capture on canvas what I saw through the camera lens.

In my house I had a small studio where I drew with my children when they were little. We told stories together trough Art. Painting is a place where I  can drift away in my own min. My love for painting has always been there, but  it took me many years to share that passion with the world.

C. L. - Where are you come from and how does that affect your work?

C. F. - I come from a middle class, born In Oslo the capitol of Norway. I moved Trondheim in my early twenties.

I  am a city girl that love the urban life, the crowded streets, cafes, theatrical pieces, museum exhibitions, the opera, concerts, but I also grew up with a small cottage by the sea, a place called Hvasser and here I found a place of solace. The landscape there are so beautiful. So I think that when I take the best of both those environment, there you have me and that gives me a spark to combine the  two worlds together. I try to create the beauty of life around me and to also cherish the calmness by the sea.

C. L. - What do you want your art to convey to the people who seeit?

C. F. - I want my art to evoke a sense of poetry, soulfullness and a place of calm in this hectic world. I love it when painting speaks to a viewer and they form a personal bond to the art piece. I hope they can feel the story I am telling through my art and that I can give them a moment of poetic stilness and a place to breathe.

C. L. - What is the meaing or creative motivation behind your work?

C. F. - Art is about sharing dreams and art brings people from different communities together and form a language that everyone can understand. I hope my work will make people around the world to communicate and to get to known eachother more easily, that is my motivation and I also want to share that Art Matters! It makes your life a better place to be in.

C. L. - Can you tell us about the process you  use to create your work? What is your typical workday routine?

C. F. - My days always start with a good cup of coffe early in the morning. And then a wallk with my cocker spaniel, and on this morning walks I sense the light, the shifting colors and nature gives me ideas to create to the blank canvas.

When I get home, I mix colors, sketch and try to attach that feeling on paper. But my ideas can grow from poetry, film a good book. I have made the large painting Stardust from a beautiful cup in a store window, I just loved the colors and shape of the cup. I paint everyday.

C. L. - When do you think your most proflic time or day or week is?

C. F. - I think my best profilic time is at midday, it is the longest periods of static light and also in the late evening, because of the calmness and stillness of the night. Weekdays are my most productive days. 

Where do you find your inspiration for your works? And what motivates you to create?

I find my inspiration in the everyday life, from shape of a cup, nature, and the soft misty colors when it rains. I got one of my inspirations when attend to a christmas concert.

My motivation to create is that urge to create always, it is essential for me, without it I would perish.

I just want the viewer to see what a beautiful world we are living in and through my art I hope that I can make a space for the viewer to dwell in.

C. L. - What is the experience with the exhibitions of RenovArt |  100 for the future? 

C. F. - I must say that I am very honored  and grateful to be a part of a project like this.

I had two paintings on display in the exhibition hosted by ApuliaAste in Matera, Italy and you, Carmela Loiacono made this a beautiful experience to be a part of. You are so dedicated and genuine interested in you as an artist. I could not attend to the exhibition, but you sent me videos and photos, so I felt that I was present during the exhibition. Thank you for giving me the oppurtunity to be a part of the RenovArt | 100 artist for the future. 

The traditional Chinese cultural ideology Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism all point to the same goal, staying connected to the nature, achieving a transcended mind without being stimulated by reality environment. Chinese artists through history tend to consider as essential that art works must express “spirit” or “rhythm”. The artist with the capability to express the “inner spirit” of the subjects they are painting is held in high esteem. 

Pu Wei’s wide range of brush paintings contain the aesthetic ideals expressed by Oriental art thought and Western abstract arts. Her brush paintings convey the essence of the traditional Chinese art ethics, which emphasizes “likeness in unlikeness”. Pu Wei has merged into her works the Western impressionist and abstract styles called “the imagery style” that reveals the illusions of visible reality or invisible void world. 

Pu Wei’s unique contribution in brush painting lies in her choice of aesthetic preference that is deeply grounded in the traditional Chinese major philosophies significantly. The ideal aesthetic art realm promoted is to bring out “inner spirit” or “vitality” of the subject artists are depicting. Pu Wei paints with a strong sense of modern and cutting-edge fashion. Her paintings, thick and heavy in colors, convey the profound life meaning and vitality.

INTERVIEW with Pu Wei

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Pu Wei, who participated during the three exhibitions of RenovArt | 100 Artists for the Future: the itinerant event Flowing Identities in Matera at Lega Navale Italiana (March 1-22, 2023) and at Spazio Opera Gallery (April 12-26, 2023) with her work: "The universe was born out of chaos";  during the exhibitions Panta Rhei at Lega Navale Italiana (May 8-26, 2023) and Shapes of Nature at Spazio Opera Gallery with her work: "Void Realm Series-2". 

Carmela Loiacono - Could you please introduce yourself and tell us how you started in the arts?

Pu Wei - I am Pu Wei, an artist living in Kunming city, Yunnan Province, China. I am a self-taught painter. My university major is educational technology and I am an educational television editor by profession. I became interested in painting when I was three years old. It took me more than 20 years to complete my self-growth and master the skills of traditional Chinese painting expertly, thus forming a very personal aesthetic concept. In 2013, I used the Great Perfection (Dzogchen) mind method of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism in China to paint, and created a new artistic expression style of Chinese painting - The color of Surupa, which comes from the name of Surupakaya Tathagata, means extraordinary fantastic colors. The color of Surupa is a new type of Chinese painting rooted in Eastern philosophy and Chinese cultural, which pushes the art of Chinese mental imagery to a higher dimension and level.

C. L. - What's your background?

P. W. - Since 2018, I have started my international artistic career. In April 2018, I participated in the New York Artexpo for the first time. In August 2018, I participated in the Summer Fine Art Exhibition London, UK. My work "Between Heaven and Earth" was selected as the poster for the exhibition, which was exposed in the London art medias, and was reported by China Xinhua News Agency (CNC WORLD) and China Education TV (CETV). In December 2018, I participated in the Paris Salon des beaux arts, France, and my work "Golden Land" was exhibited in the Carrousel of the Louvre Museum. In the following years, I participated in many international art exhibitions in Paris, London, Strasbourg, New York, San Diego, Miami, Tokyo, Dubai, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland and other places and won many important international art awards. I was reported in Chinese influential art webs, magazines and newspapers, TVs, CNC world news. Through international art exhibitions, awards, publications, interviews and other art events, a lot of people know my works and like them, they regard my works as their spiritual totems and soul placement and collect them.

C. L. - Where are you come from and how does that affect your work?

P. W. - I’m come from China. Since I was a student, I have read a lot of books on Eastern philosophy and Chinese culture, and learned knowledge about the mind, spirit, and consciousness. This deeply influenced my artistic creation ideas. Chinese traditional culture advocates the idea of "harmony between man and nature", which is the ideal state of harmonious coexistence between man and nature, and also the artistic spirit of thousands of years of Chinese painting. The universe, nature and life are intrinsically linked and obey common universal laws. For example: Light, Peace, Harmony, Warmth, Calm, Joy, Relaxation, Happiness, Purity, Freedom, etc. These feelings are frequencies, they are vibrations, all of these are "love" energies. As long as we resonate with the universe frequency and live in harmony with nature, we will gain powerful universe energy. The traditional Chinese cultural ideology Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism have greatly impacted the Chinese artists aesthetic preferences. Cultivating heart (Confucianism focus), Being still and poised living (Taoism focus), and Buddhism meditation all point to the same goal, staying connected to the nature, achieving a transcended mind without being stimulated by reality environment. Chinese artists through history tend to consider as essential that art works must express “spirit” or “rhythm”. The artist with the capability to express the “inner spirit” of the subjects they are painting is held in high esteem. My paintings contain the aesthetic ideals expressed by Oriental art thought and Western abstract arts, convey the essence of the traditional Chinese art ethics, which emphasizes “likeness in unlikeness”. I have merged into my works the Western impressionist and abstract styles called “the imagery style” that reveals the illusions of visible reality or invisible void world. Through my works, viewers can see the balanced beauty of merging both Eastern and Western art aesthetics.

C. L. - Where do you find inspiration?

P. W. - I am an original and purely natural art creator. My artistic ideas and methods come from the most primitive consciousness and inspiration from dreams. I obtained the knowledge of the Great Perfection Dharma through dreams. Dharma transmission in dreams is one of the inheritance ways of the Great Perfection Dharma of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism. This is a very orthodox and unquestionable way, which shows a clear origin and clean roots. I am the first painter to apply the Great Perfection mind method to contemporary art. My mental imagery is the image of a higher dimensional void realm with extraordinary information and energy. I use the Great Perfection mind method to enter meditation, which opens the door to connect with the universe. I feel the higher frequency lights and colors and the profound natural states, which are the energy of "love" from the universe. I believe that in addition to the sights of the physical world that our eyes can see, there is also the natural state of higher dimensions of invisible space that is perceived with the soul. By connecting with nature, I got rid of the shackles of the real material world and gained true freedom of the soul. This is a very perfect kind of life experience, and I feel extremely joyful and happy. I would love to convey these universe love energies to the audience through my paintings. 

C. L. - When is your favorite time of day to create?

P. W. - I don't draw every day, I only draw when I have impulse and passion. I usually create from noon until evening, lasting for over 8 hours. I have always been in a state of inspiration explosion, capturing fleeting mental imagery and painting at a rapid pace. During this time, I entered meditation, feeling the surrounding space stationary and time stopping. The top energy light of the Great Perfection - rainbow light fills my consciousness space, which constitutes my consciousness energy field, changes the physical properties of the matter around me, causing the mind to appear Inductive phenomena and supernatural miracles. my heart is like a container full of water, which contains all past experiences and skills, all life's troubles, emotions, desires, chores, etc. Before I start painting, I have to empty all of this water so that my heart is like a cleaned mirror. At this time, I returned to the state of a newborn baby, soft, pure, and clean. Gradually, various light spots, colored lights, rainbow lights, illusory lights and shadows and images appeared in my mind. These things are very high energy frequencies or waves that will come into the picture with my creations. At this moment, I entered a state of emptiness, and a relatively blurry image began to appear in my mind. This is the first mental imagery projection. Then, I randomly splash ink and color on the rice paper. Under the action of water flow, inks and colors are randomly combined, mixed, superimposed, penetrated, and produce gradients. They move freely, take shape automatically, and present ever-changing, natural and mysterious images on rice paper. This process of converting mental imagery into paper images is the second projection of mental imagery. Throughout the process, I am the conductor of the concert, using my consciousness to guide water, ink, color, light and shadow to play a symphony on rice paper, and in some places, I will use brushes to do some manual intervention and guidance. Each element of the medium is free to play with its own playful flair, and my consciousness interacts with them. On rice paper, scenes that I didn't expect will automatically appear, similar to the natural state of the universe, nature and life, including some extremely esoteric images. When the carnival of the concert was coming to an end, I used a brush to do the final processing to enhance some details to make the picture look more artistic, refined and more perfect. After some mental imagery pictures are completed, they can continue to be expanded. I will add some humanistic elements, such as symbols of spiritual totems, images with cultural meanings, natural scenery and objects so on. It can be said that half of my mental imagery paintings are completed by supernatural life spirituality. These automatically appearing, rich and complex images, I think are some esoteric structures that carry energies and information that we don't know about. The mental imagery picture can be used as the background image to continue to expand, to increase the artist's subjective creative concept and humanistic connotation, and the final work is a perfect combination of natural energy and conscious energy.

C. L. - Please, talk about your works: "The universe was born out of chaos" and "Void Realm Series-2". What has been your inspiration that drives you for creating these works?

P. W. - My mental imagery is a random, occasional, momentary emergence. When I started drawing, I couldn't figure out what it was. My painting is a process of exploring the unknown, and I won't see the result until the end. The painting medium I use is very thin, absorbent and permeable Chinese painting rice paper. The fluidity of water makes the rendering of ink and color in an uncontrollable state. The image on the paper is constantly changing, and it will automatically appear natural wonderful shape. In this process, human intervention should be reduced as much as possible, artificial traces should be diluted. These images, which are composed of vague, scattered, shapeless, contourless, various color points, shadows, shades, light and dark elements, have approached the void scene of higher dimensions. This is the highest aesthetic ideal of Chinese Taoism that I pursue—the Great form Is without shape. After the painting is finished, I will correspond to the natural scenery according to the presented image, and give it an easy-to-understand proposition. For example, "The universe was born out of chaos" this work was named based on the finally appearing scene. Certainly, I will also add some humanistic connotations to clarify the theme. The Void Realm series is a record of my mental imagery, these esoteric soul images contain unknown natural information from high dimensions. Many people have found the resonance of the soul in these high-energy images, and regard these works as their spiritual sustenance and soul destination. My works are pure spiritual artistic expressions, belonging to the metaphysical category of spiritual supremacy, and are an artistic medium and channel to help people improve their spiritual level and realize noble soul. Visible or invisible natural space is full of vitality and is the source of all energy, so my paintings express natural states and scenes, natural energy and information, natural feelings and appearances, I use natural power and energy allows nature to present its essence, thus realizing my own aesthetic ideal. I present my mental imagery of a certain time and space in random changes, allowing the natural state to appear naturally. These images can correspond to visible real scenes, or invisible void scenes. The audience can define and feel by themselves. I want to give the audience room to imagine freely. This is a very important aesthetic ideal of mine, which is to let me create in a natural state and let the audience think in a natural state. That is to say, while I gain spiritual freedom in the process of painting, I also let the audience gain freedom of thought when watching. By expressing nature, let us return to the essence of human nature and enter the free realm of art. Actually, I am reluctant to name it, because once it is named, the consciousness dimension of the painting will immediately drop, so naming is not necessary. I want to give the freedom of naming to the audience. I cannot underestimate the artistic observation and appreciation of the audience. The audience often sees more connotations than me. When they read my paintings, they usually go beyond my original intentions. Many different conclusions and interpretations they would draw from seeing a painting. I think that if a painting can carry more people's cognitive information, it means that the painting has stronger energy and higher dimension. So that I judge the quality of my work based on the capacity of the information, a work with dozens of interpretations is definitely better than a work with only one answer. In short, the essence of my creation is: I am free, you are also free, all images and interpretations are natural and random, everything is impermanent.

C. L. - Do your has style changed over time?

P. W. - Yes, my technique is capricious, it changes with my mental imagery, the only constant is the mind method of Great Perfection. The Great Perfection is a very advanced system of meditation on the deepest, subtlest, foundational levels of mind. “Mind” refers to the unbroken mental activity of cognitively engaging with objects, described from another point of view as the mental activity of giving rise to appearances (mental holograms). Regarding the Great Perfection mind method, it is difficult to explain accurately in words. It is a very subtle method of projection and manifestation of mental images. I have built a theoretical model to describe this mind method, which is not its essence, just a superficial metaphor: This is a holographic, three-dimensional circular space representing an infinite, borderless universe. The center of the circle is my heart. When I empty my heart, my whole being merges with the universe, and my heart resonates with the universe at the same frequency. At this time, this circular space becomes my consciousness space. The place near the center of the circle belongs to the visible area, and the farthest place is the invisible infinite space. The concentric circles that expand step by step represent the consciousness dimension from "like image" to "unlike image". There is a line extending from the visible area to the invisible space like a radar line. The longer the radius of this line, the larger the space covered, The more information and energy it contains. "Unlike image" has a much higher level of consciousness than "like image", contains more complex information, and carries more energy, so we cannot use a certain information to name an "unlike image". For example, abstract paintings are difficult to name. If the consciousness dimension is further escalated, we can continue to enter the invisible void space, where "without shape" has appeared. This is the highest aesthetic state revealed by Chinese Taoism - the great form is without shape. This circular space is filled with rainbow light, which is the top-level energy light of the Great Perfection of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism, and is invisible light. When I use the Great Perfection mind method, I am in the energy field of the rainbow light. As my consciousness increases, from the visible area to the invisible space, my empty heart, like a mirror, reflects the void image of a higher dimension, this is the projection of mental imagery. According to this model, the dimension of consciousness must be upgraded so that we can perceive areas from the visible to the invisible. When my conscious dimension reaches the invisible space, techniques are no longer a problem at this level, nor are they important, I can use all possible techniques and express all possible images. Every once in a while, the content of my paintings will have large fluctuations and jumps, I don't want to repeat and copy myself, I keep changing all the time. Because only in the process of change I can obtain the joy of creation, and this process of change has stimulated my great curiosity and interest in exploration. It made me experience the freedom and liberation of soul in impermanence.

C. L. - During your artistic carrier you participate in many exhibitions and receive a lot of prizes, do you have any upcoming news should know about?

P. W. - I feel very honored, I have participated in many international exhibitions and received a lot of prizes, more and more people have come to know “The color of Surupa” which comes from China. As an artist, I have developed a new creative method and path by using the unique oriental traditional ink painting medium, fundamentally bringing about profound changes in techniques and forms, and creating a new expression style of Chinese painting. It is a new type of Chinese painting born out of oriental art thought and Chinese cultural. It is precisely because of the strong spiritual strength and cultural ideology support that I have embarked on this path of artistic innovation. Although I created “The color of Surupa”, but from my experience along the way, I feel that “The color of Surupa” has its mission, and its Birth, growth, and development have their natural routes, where it will go in the future, what will happen, and who it will meet, I cannot subjectively set it, nor can it be foreseeable. I will follow it with my heart, and let everything return to its natural nature. So, I don't have any special arrangements or plans for the future. At present, I usually spend a lot of time learning about the knowledge of consciousness, spirit, and mind, and studying the theories of Buddhism and Taoism in traditional Chinese culture. Occasionally, I will participate in international exhibitions, publish works, summarize my artistic thoughts and methods, I hope that more people will know my new painting style, feel the energy of love from the universe and nature, and gain the power of soul sublimation. 

The scale of her canvases has become larger, with commissions for hotels and boardrooms complimenting those for more domestic settings.

A change in direction, combines with a move to a new studio overlooking Plymouth Sound, led to involvement with boats and the sea. Recent works have reflected this interest and Marine Art now features as a strong part of Julie’s portfolio.

A recent theme “Where the land meets the sea”, has been explored in a series of acrylic paintings which allow experimentation, vibrancy and impact to the fluid images.

The sailing of the Mayflower from Plymouth to America in 1620 inspired an exhibition of her paintings, each of the fifteen images is based on a different sentence from the Captain’s Diary. An exhibition of this project was held in the Mayflower Museum, Plymouth from November 2019 to May 2022.

Artist Statement

"My art is inspired by the notion of the Collective Unconscious, in particular the universal feelings of emotion and enrichment we absorb from the natural world. I paint to feed my soul,  and strive to portray that same response in the viewer.

Nature, the weather, the changing seasons, and the eternal ebb and flow of life within our precious world are my main influences.

My work is an eclectic mix of classical and contemporary subjects, and both oil and acrylic paints are used in the making of the most recent pieces.

I work from a studio overlooking Plymouth Sound, in Devon  U.K. and the daily absorption of the changing face of the sea influences  my artistic practice. The vibrancy and energy of nature reflected in the movement and tonal hues of the sea, balanced against the constant replenishment of new growth and change in the natural world, remind me of the passage of time and of our place in the ongoing flow and rhythm of life.

Experimentation with acrylics has developed a passion for allowing forms and spontaneous marks to dictate the subject within a particular theme, giving each piece a unique and expressive quality."

INTERVIEW with Julie Hammonds

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Julie Hammonds, who participated during the six exhibitions of RenovArt | 100 Artists for the Future in Matera: the third at Lega Navale Italiana (November 03-30, 2023) and the fourth events at Spazio Opera Gallery (Dicember 05, 2023 - January 03, 2023) with her works: "The Breakwater Lighthouse" and "The Lighthouse"; the itinerant event Flowing Identities in Matera at Lega Navale Italiana (March 1-22, 2023) and at Spazio Opera Gallery (April 12-26, 2023) with her works: "The Breakwater Lighthouse" and "The White Sentinel";  during the exhibition Panta Rhei at Lega Navale Italiana (May 8-26, 2023) with the work: "The Divide"; during Shapes of Nature exhibition at Spazio Opera Gallery with her works: "The Divide" and "Fan Coral"; during the exhibition Inner Colors at Lega Navale Italiana (September 14 - October 08, 2023) with her work "Fan Coral". 

Julie participated during the collective exhibition Be Yourself - Be Contemporary, the 10th event of the project RenovArt at Lega Navale Italiana (February 8-28, 2024) with her works: "Fan Coral" and "The Tree". 

Carmela Loiacono - Can you tell us about the moment you decided to pursue a career as an artist?

Julie Hammonds - Since childhood I have always been drawn to painting, but it wasn’t until I was 30 years old that I started to take it seriously.  I had done my first oil painting, which I was pleased with. It was a study of Bakewell Bridge – a beauty spot close to where I lived – and I took it to have it framed. The gallery owner thought it was good enough to sell and put it in his window. It sold straight away, and from then on I was encouraged to take painting more seriously.

C. L. - What influences your work? What inspires you? Why do you make art?

J. H. - I am always influenced by the environment, as well as whatever life-events or changes are going on in my life at the time.

When my three children went to school, I became a partner in a boat-building business, and I became immersed in the marine life.  I still continued painting, and my subject matter then became concentrated on the sea, boats, historical marine art, and in particular fulfilling commissions of people’s boats .  At first I didn’t know how to mix the colours and apply the paint to reflect the liquidity and luminosity  of water, but over time I have learned by trial and error and this period of my life gave me the opportunity to fulfil a fascination with the sea which continues today in my seascapes.  As a self taught artist, I struggled with the process of painting the sea, and a commission to replicate marine artists from the nineteenth century allowed me to learn the colours and methods involved in giving life and vibrancy to my representations of the sea. 

In 2020 I was fortunate in being given an exhibition of 15 of my marine oil paintings , which were based on sentences taken from the diary of the Captain of the Mayflower when the Pilgrims crossed from Plymouth to America in 1620. The Mayflower Museum in Plymouth hosted the exhibition as part of the celebrations of the commemoration of the 400th year of the voyage. The exhibition lasted for 2 years, and I now have the project back in my studio. I  hope one day to be able to show it again.

As my experiences in life have changed, so has my subject matter, and I now find myself focusing on the combination of my love of nature, the weather, the environment, and my concerns for the planet. My oil seascapes now are very much concentrated in my own mind as trying to capture natures energy and the eternal rhythms of the tides and seasons. No matter what mankind does to the planet, the tide will always continue to ebb and flow. Each seascape (and I know this sounds dramatic) has the background inspiration of “After the Apocalypse”.  (I haven’t been brave enough to tell anyone this before, but like all of us, it is a deep fear).  If the viewer prefers,  they are just calm and reassuring views of ebbing and flowing tides. 

Acrylic paints have fascinated me for a long time. The immediacy of painting in acrylics and the vibrancy of the colours are a perfect foil to oil painting.  I have started to explore new themes , and exhibiting in your exhibitions has encouraged me to branch out and expand my subjects and technique. The “Shapes of Nature” exhibition  inspired me to continue this theme with my acrylic paintings.

C. L. - What is the process you use to create your works.  What is your typical workday routine?

J. H. - My studio is a short drive from home, and as I unlock the door I am always excited to view the previous days work left on the easel. I will already know what I am going to do to progress the painting, because it is usually the first thought when I wake up in the morning.

My oil paintings take from a week to six weeks depending on the size and subject. I have developed my  process over the years, and since I am self-taught I simply do the same thing every morning . The palette I have used the day before will inform the colours I squeeze from the tube for the day’s work.  I use paper palettes and throw away the old one, mixing the colours into piles before I start for the day. Some people find this a meditative process – but I dislike it. I am always itching to get on with the painting and find the preparation a chore. Perfection would be to have an assistant who would do this for me- clean my brushes at the end of the day – order the materials – organise exhibiting the paintings – leaving me to do what makes me most contented – painting.

I have recently visited an exhibition of the work of Joshua Reynolds , and in 1742 he wrote to his father “While I am painting I am the happiest creature alive….”  Yes! I feel the same way.

Creating my acrylic paintings is the opposite end of the scale.  I need plenty of space, and since the process involves allowing the paint to run and combine to produce unique abstract shapes and tones, I paint the acrylics on the kitchen table at home.  Dust sheets and plastic cover the surfaces because it is guaranteed that I will make splashes of runny colour and for the few days I set aside for preparing several canvases at a time, the table remains unusable. 

I can not risk getting splashes of acrylic paint on my oil paintings in the studio.  Perhaps one day I will be able to have a bigger studio, where I will have the space to paint oils and acrylics under the same roof.

C. L. - What emotions do you hope the viewers experience when looking at your art?

J. H. - My art is inspired by the notion of the Collective Unconscious, in particular sharing the feelings of joy, emotion and enrichment we absorb from the natural world.

I paint to feed my soul, and strive to portray that same response in the viewer. Nature, the weather, the changing seasons , and the eternal ebb and flow of life within our precious world are my main influences.

Our collective fears and anxieties surrounding climate change and our changing environment are an undercurrent in my latest paintings. I have just completed series of oils all based on the beach I see each morning as I arrive at the studio. This atmospheric and ethereal subject  invite the viewer to join me in considering  the eternal nature and reliability of the  tides and seasons. It is something we as humans have no control over, and which will continue in perpetuity. It offers me hope and wonder, as well as joy , and I want these emotions to be evoked in the observer.

The theme of “Development versus Clean Air” depicted in one of my latest paintings of London, has led me down another pathway of subject matter related to  the balance and equilibrium of nature. My current work is entitled “Heritage versus Modernity” and I use Venice as the subject.  Arriving by water taxi from the Airport, the city is laid out in front of you, with its history and culture patchworked together on the island. To the right of the scene is the silhouette of the chimneys and towers of the mainland, not exactly equally eye-catching but stunning none the less. In aiming to juxtapose these two images I hope to offer another opportunity to consider our effect on the ongoing connection between our past and our future.

C. L. - How long does it take to produce one work?

J. H. - The oil paintings are built up in layers, with each layer drying before the next is added. The movement and tonal hues of the sea offer an absorbing and challenging subject, and the continual puzzle of combining movement and atmospheric qualities mean that each piece can take up to 6 weeks to complete. Landscapes and portraits similarly take weeks to finish.

Acrylics are another matter. They allow forms and spontaneous marks to dictate the subject within a particular theme, giving each piece a unique and expressive quality. The vibrancy and immediacy of the paintings is a delightful contrast to my usual method, although extremely disordered compared with the more formalised oil paintings.

C. L. - What are your future plans for your artwork?

J. H. - In a perfect world I would like to be able to continue creating artworks and  showing my work in exhibitions internationally. I am inspired by the feedback I get from my paintings being shown, and it gives me the opportunity to indulge my passion for painting and immersing myself in the creative process.

My current exploration both in oil and acrylic, examine my interest in the environment, on nature,  and on our place in the rolling history of our planet. My “Tidal” paintings also allow me to draw on a theme that has infused my work since I began my art journey – the enigma of the passage of time. The idiom “Time and tide wait for no man”, first recorded by St. Mahrer in 1225 suffuses all my subject matter, and is as relevant a subject for consideration in todays world as it was when it was first written in the middle ages. 

Dojoong holds a Master of Fine Arts from Chung -Ang University in Western

Painting. He has devoted his life to art since he won the 16th Korea National Art

Exhibition in 1967 when he was a freshman in college. He is the youngest painter in Korean history to receive an ‘honorable mention’. - from Agora gallery catalog.

INTERVIEW with DoJoong Jo - Soilart

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with DoJoong Jo - Soilart, who participated during the three events of RenovArt | 100 Artists for the Future: November 03-30, 2022 at Lega Navale Italiana with his artworks "Wild Flower" and "Lady 2", from December 05, 2022 to January 03, 2023, at Spazio Opera Gallery with his artworks "Knar 49", Knar 28", "Wild Flower", "Lady 1", "Lady 2", "Lady 3",  and during Shapes of Nature, from June 01-30, 2023 at Spazio Opera Gallery in Matera with his two artworks from the series: "Knar". 

Carmela Loiacono - Could you please introduce yourself and tell us how you started in the arts? 

DoJoong Jo - I wanted to be a painter since I was 11 years old. I was moved when I saw Millet's work 'The Angelus' in a book.

I was young at the time, and I still don't know why that work came to me.

However, I was deeply moved at that time and wanted to become a painter like Millet.

The Angelus, Jean-François Millet, 1857-1859. Musée d'Orsay, Paris.

Millet first titled this creature "People Praying for the Potato Harvest" and then organized it into "The Angelus".

C. L. - I know that you are a pioneer in the technique of using soil as a material in painting. Can you tell us about the process you use to create your works, please?

D. J. - "It was late fall 25 years ago. One day, I found a red flower blooming on the promenade. When I got closer, it wasn’t a flower, but a ‘clump of dirt’ the size of an apple. The reddish, fist-sized soil is so dazzlingly beautiful. It was a color I had never seen before. There were colors that could not be expressed with paint." From then on, I began to ponder intensely about the soil, the mother of life. Analysis of the properties of others, classifying colors and making them. Quartz, feldspar, mica, and calcite in loess are oxidized together with iron. It gives a variety of colors, including yellow, purple, red, gray, and pale green. This chemistry was nothing more than a compass for my quest. I also found out that the minerals in the soil give my work a unique color, and when illuminated, the minerals in the work make it sparkle, giving an exquisite effect and impression. That mysterious color, the various living things in the soil that it embraces, Even the solar energy and subtle lunar energy contained in the soil are polyhedral, the soil that was like a jewel was loess. This was the experience and opportunity that led me to start soil art.

C. L. - Where do you get your inspiration from?

D. J. - If you can put your own world into your work, you are a great artist.

Finding your own theme and concept for your work is not as easy as you think. I found it on knar.

The subject of my work is knar: a wound on a tree. Trees secrete sap to heal when they are sick, when the juice hardens, it becomes knar. It is both wound and healing, the cycle of life. A knar has many shapes, sometimes it looks realistic, sometimes it looks abstract. It is the image of eternity that I longed for. one day when the time God has given me runs out, I will return to eternity. I want to put on my canvas an image of eternity that I will see there someday.

C. L. - How long does it take to produce one work?

D. J. - The time it takes to produce a work is variable. If you can get the materials you want quickly, the work time will be shortened.

However, it is not uncommon for me to never find the rare colored soil that has been used up again.

There are colors that are so rare that even if I wrestle with the soil day and night, they disappear with just one brush. Choosing the color of the earth, mixing it with water, and transferring it to the canvas is a process of realizing my shortcomings and weakness.

The first piece I drew with soil 27 years ago used six different clay colors. It was an ocher color that we commonly see.

I had to spend 10 years deep in the mountains to collect different colored soil After about 3 years, 256 types of soil were numbered on my collection list.

After going beyond 256, I could no longer assign numbers to colors.

There were limitations because we had to distinguish them with the naked eye. I have been collecting various earthen materials like this for 27 years.

Also as you know, dirt doesn't slip. So several times more brush strokes are needed. Even if the water dries, the soil takes more time.

When the water dries, the natural color of the soil is revealed, so the finished color cannot be known in advance while coloring. I can only guess. 

When I was young, I enjoyed oil painting. However, working with clay takes more effort and time.

But I did this with pleasure because it was all about finding originality.

C. L. - How do you define success as an artist?

D. J. - There is a proverb in Korea like this

Tigers leave their leather when they die, and humans leave their names after they die.

In a capitalist society, many people may find their success in becoming rich.

The polarization of capitalism has ravaged the human mind with materialism, and mankind is suffering from the disease

We must find beauty through art and purify the turbid world. A beautiful work of art has the power to make it possible.

If the essence of art is to restore human ‘innocence’ through art, I hope that the wounds of mankind will be healed, that is also the meaning of knar, the subject of my work.

My definition of success as an artist has nothing to do with being rich. The same goes for power

I just consider it a success if my name remains in the world's art history and people in the distant future can see my work someday.

Just as I was moved for no reason when I saw Millet's Angelus when I was 11 years old.

C. L. - Does art help you in other areas of your life?

D. J. - It's not easy to see a work of art properly. I think this, like every other field, needs training.

When art becomes a part of life and we can see the inner depth and taste beyond mere appearance.

I think you will have a new perspective on other areas of your life as well. This can be of great help in helping a person mature.

C. L. - What exciting projects are you working on right now? Can you share some of the future plans for your artworks?

D. J. - Everything happened by chance like a miracle.

Even when I was 73 years old, I was a completely unknown artist.

Over the past three years, my works have been revealed to the world as my son introduced them to the United States and Europe through social media.

Another accidental miracle is happening in a row.

I received an officially signed invitation from the national pavilion curator to the 2024 Venice Biennale.

I plan to exhibit Knar snow along with my work knar forest fairy here.

Knar forest fairy is a work that was also shown at the 2023 Florence Biennale. 

Knar snow is a work that uses white-colored soil like snow.

The scenery where the early morning showers briefly fell and then stopped, A blade of grass that was lying in a bright and clear landscape rises.

The moment the creatures such as grass bugs and squirrels hiding from the rain stick their heads out. A scene where a fairy is listening to the sound of that moment. 

Recent Exhibition

2021.08 Swiss art expo 2021, (Artbox gallery, zurich)

2021.09 Reprisal & Rediscovery, (agora gallery chealsea, New York)

2021.10 Art expo New york , (agora gallery)

2022.01 Paris Artpair , (monat gallery Madrid, spain)

2022.02 Artbox.project World2.0, (Urbanside gallery Zurich, Swiss)

2022.02 Art Festival from italy (in collaboration with Korea Art Promotion Agency , Galleria Antonio Battaglia, milano, italy)

2022.03 CANVAS venice international Art Fair (itsliquid group, venice, italy )

2022.04 Artexpo NewYork , (artavita, california)

2022.05 Rome international Art Fair2022 (Medina Art Gallery, rome, italy)

2022.06 : A MOMENT OF TRUTH (Arthouse.nyc art space )

2022. 07 : 'Continuity: Modern and Contemporary Masters' (artifact212 gallery, Manhattan)

2022. 07 : Musa Pavilion 2022 (Musa international, italy)

2022.08 : swiss art expo 2022, (artboxy, zurich, Swiss)

2022. 09 : Focus Art Fair (Honglee, 99 rue du Rivoli,75001 Paris)

2022.09 Group Exhibition_ rendezvous (monat gallery Madrid, spain)

2022.10 : contemporary day_Sponsorized by AMACI (Rossocinabro gallery, Roma, italy)

2022.11 : Exotic Reveries (agora gallery, chelsea, NewYork)

2022.11 : We contemporary (musa international, italy)

2023 . Shape of Nature l RenovArt (Spazio Opera Gallery , Matera)

2023 Firenze Contemporary II , (Rossocinabro, Rome)

2023 Sicily Summer Art Expo 2023 (Ragusa museum, MUSA International Art Space)

2023 Noonchi Group exhibition (palazzo velli expo, studioArte22)

2023 Rome Art expo (palazzo velli expo, Musainternational)

2023.10 : XIV Florence Biennale 2023. (from 14 to 22 October 2023, Fortezza da Basso, Florence, Italy)

Her inner world is revealed both in the mixtures of colours and in the subjects she identifies and represents in a surreal as well as natural form. Over the years she has always dedicated herself to the search for a personal style, experimenting with different techniques and feeling at ease with the use of oil colours, also appreciating the effects that acrylic colours give.

In 1980, she held her first solo exhibition and participated in several group exhibitions in the following years.

For a long time, because of the strong emotional ties to her works, she chose not to make them public, but then he felt the desire to communicate the messages he believes in through his art and in 2022, after a long break, he took part in a group exhibition at Palazzo Ferrajoli in Rome and received the "Certificate of Artistic Merit" awarded by the Pinacothèque, a museum in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, for the Luxembourg Art Prize Competition; participated in 2023, in a video exhibition, with the work "Amore donato" at Artbox. Projects NewYork 2.0 and with the work "Gioia ritrovata" she took part in Vivart, organised by Galleria Venere in Gravina (BA), in May 2023. In May 2023, she was a semi-finalist at Artbox.Projects in Basel 2.0 with the work "Inseguendo la Luce". She will also be present in the video exhibition 'Composizioni Cromatiche' at the exhibition centre "Le Ciminiere" in Catania and at the Galleria Zerouno in Barletta.

Also in June 2023, adhering to the Renovart | 100 Artists for the Future project, she took part in the collective exhibition of contemporary art "Shapes of Nature". 

She is currently working on a new series of works inspired by nature and its life cycles.

INTERVIEW with Licia Nuzzi

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Licia Nuzzi, who participated during the collective exhibition "Shapes of Nature", at Spazio Opera Gallery (June 01-30, 2023) in Matera with the artworks: "Resilienza", "Il Groviglio della vita" and "Le Stagioni della vita". 

Carmela Loiacono - Could you introduce yourself and tell us about your first experience in the field of art?

Licia Nuzzi - My name is Licia Nuzzi, I was born in Matera, where I live and work. I have a degree in Religious Studies and have taught in secondary school for a long time. Art and painting have always been my passion and as a self-taught artist I have dedicated myself to it since my adolescence. I dare not call myself an artist. Artists for me are the 'big' names that have left us unrepeatable heritages in history and I am thinking of Michelangelo, Raphael, Van Gogh, Caravaggio, Monet....

I never thought of showing my art, it was mine... but then I realised that through my works I could transmit those values that animate my life and that I believe can be a vehicle of communication and mutual enrichment. Many years ago, someone believed in me and organised a personal exhibition where almost all my works were sold. It was a pain for me to part with those works and in the following years I stopped producing works, dedicating myself to my family and teaching.

A few years ago, I wanted to attend a painting training course held by Daniela De Candia, a professor of painting at the People's University of Munich, and it was only in 2022, after several insistences, that I decided to start a new path in my artistic life, stepping out and entering the art world in a more personal and closer form.

C. L. - What inspires your work? Who are your greatest artistic influences?

L. N. - The beauty of nature, the vicissitudes of life, the feelings that arise in the human soul are my greatest inspirations. I cannot paint if there is not a strong urge from my heart to imprint the emotions I experience on canvas. If this were not the case, art would not be able to touch the heartstrings of the beholder, even if he were to see something other than what I have painted, because the heartstrings, even if they emit different sounds, tune into the same harmony and this is wonderful for me! However, I must admit that my greatest inspiration comes from nature, which is the greatest artist ever. I often photograph the sky, the forest, the sea, the sunsets, the flowers and let myself be inspired by the colour combinations, which are truly unique!

C. L. - What do you want your art to convey to the people who see it? What is the meaning or creative motivation behind each of your works?

L. N. - I would like to make the heartstrings of the viewer vibrate to grasp the richness of the values that fill the human soul. The 'Light', which for me represents God, and is present in each of my works, I would like it to stimulate the viewer to embark on the path of research. I paint to share my emotions, my quest, my statement of faith, and I hope that 'some seeds fall on fertile ground'. I would like to be the push, the encouragement to move forward in life despite the difficulties and hardships one has to face.

C. L. - During the Shapes of Nature exhibition, you exhibited the works "Seasons of Life", "The Tangle of Life" and "Resilience", what was their creation process? Tell us about these works?

L. N. - I went through a very difficult period during which I experienced the struggle to find true peace. The experiences I went through put my life to the test and I transferred this onto the canvas, reflecting on how, in the different moments of life, "The Seasons of Life", we react by always keeping our gaze forward as it is from life itself that we receive the strength to move forward. "The tangle of life" was painted precisely in one of those moments when you feel overwhelmed by a thousand situations and you seem unable to find solutions, but then you realise that the "Divine Light" has accompanied you and supported you continuously. In fact, if you look closely at the painting you can see how flashes of light appear among the tangles, flanking the coloured lines.

Resilience' was painted after overcoming, moments in which everything seemed to collapse but which you then realise were moments in which you measured your resistance and ability to fight: 'I bend but do not break'!

They are very meaningful works for me, they remind me of the pain from which I came out stronger than before.

C. L. - What was your experience like during the exhibition opening?

L. N. - The Shapes of Nature exhibition was very exciting for me for several reasons. First of all, it was the first time I had exhibited in the city where I live, and I was able to meet and talk to other artists. You, Dr. Carmela Loiacono, then made this experience special because you conveyed your interest to me as an artist and did so with generosity and affection.

C. L. - What has been your most important achievement to date?

L. N. - First of all, I have built, together with my husband, a wonderful family with children and grandchildren that we are proud of; then in the artistic field, among the various recognitions received for participating in national and international group exhibitions, I also received a certificate of merit from the Pinacothèque in Luxembourg for the Luxembourg Prize in 2022, and I arrived as a semifinalist at the ARTBOX.PROJECT BASILEA 2.0 in 2023, receiving a personal art catalogue. But I think that among all the approvals I received, it was important for me to record the esteem and appreciation of my work by everyone who came across one of my works.

C. L. - What are your career goals?

L. N. - I would like to be able to continue painting with more intensity, to transmit what I have inside and share it with others. Finally, I would love to be able to organise a solo exhibition.

Ardea has been actively exhibiting her work since 2012. She has participated in juried group shows across North America, including shows in Chicago, Boston, Seattle, Toronto, and New York City. In 2021, her work was included in the London Art Biennale. In early 2023, she was Artist in Residence with Hypatia-in-the-Woods in Shelton, WA. Ardea is currently a resident artist at the Globe Studios in Kitchener, Ontario.

Statement

"In my art, I try to capture the occasions when I feel the world open. Day to day, my mind encloses and flattens the space around me. The images I create strengthen my belief in the reality of space, possibility, and peace.

The depth around me often doesn't seem real. There is a screen separating me from the open spaces. Believing in depth involves breaking this screen to forge a connection between myself and the other. I create worlds in which my self and the other are opposite sides of one fabric. By visualizing two-sided folds, my art identifies a closeness that has been lost.

I also visualize double surroundings. My mind extends to surround the other. My body surrounds everything I see, with its boundaries at the corners of my eyes. Images of what I see are stored and remixed inside me. My art shows bodies encircling outside spaces. But the world also surrounds me with its mix of space and more solid matter. I know that my body is small.

My influences include Buddhist practice, western philosophy, and mental health work. I am interested in the relationship of Buddhist ideas of “one-ness”, Gilles Deleuze’s theory of “folds”, and solutions to anxiety and depression. I want to help other people expand their own mental spaces in order to be kinder to themselves and others."

INTERVIEW with Ardea Thurston-Shaine

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Ardea Thurston-Shaine, who participated during the collective exhibition "Inner Colors",  in Matera at Lega Navale venue, from September 14 to October 08, 2023 with the artworks: "Convergent Realms", "In and Out" and "Between".

Carmela Loiacono - Can you tell us about the moment you decided to pursue a career as an artist?

Ardea Thurston-Shaine - Art of some form has always been the main thing that defined me personally. Along with animals and nature, art of any form (visual art, music, dance, creative writing, etc) has always been my main interest. I majored in visual art as an undergraduate because I enjoyed those classes

most, but I really decided to make it a career around 2014, when I started to apply to MFA programs. I found I wasn’t happy without investing myself in ambitious artistic goals.

C. L. - What's your background?

A. TS. - I was born in Port Townsend, Washington, on the Olympic Peninsula of the West coast of the United States. My family spent about half our time in the wilderness in Alaska. I played in the woods a lot as a child. My mom was a follower of Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Buddhist teacher. This practice influenced my interest in philosophy and inward contemplation. I went to Oberlin College, which is also where my dad went. Then I got my MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts.

C. L. - Where do you find inspiration? What motivates you to create?

A. TS. - I think my first inspiration is my dreams. Dreams are a sort of less controllable creativity. They come out of images and feelings experienced in waking life. But then they are mixed up and somehow even more personalized than lived experience. Dreaming and creating makes life worthwhile for me.

C. L. - What emotions do you hope the viewers experience when looking at your art?

A. TS. - I hope they feel excited, wanting to look more at the world and not block it out. I find that I have the potential to see a lot more than I habitually do. I want to inspire that sort of deep looking in the viewers of my art.

C. L. - When do you know that an artwork is finished?

A. TS. - I usually have a plan for most of the image before I start painting. Sometimes it is a single photograph, sometimes a photoshopped image. I often add details from my mind along the way as well. It is finished when I don’t know what else I would add in any area of the surface.

C. L. - During Inner Colors, you are selected to present the artworks: "Convergent Realms", "In and Out" and "Between". Could you be so kind as to tell me about these works, please?

A. TS. - These paintings are part of a series that explores the surface of water as a metaphor for the membrane between mental spaces. For “Convergent Realms,” I made a sculpture of a dragon and dropped it into a stream. The sculpture and the breeze and the current of the water altered the reflection of the trees on the surface. The warped image of the trees surrounds the dragon sculpture. Dragons symbolize my relationship to everything that isn’t me. They protect me from and connect me to the world. The dragon here is a protector of that middle space where sky and trees and the surface of the stream meet and are tangled together.

“In and Out” explores the effect of my own shadow on what I can see when looking into the water of a pond. Sometimes the shadow allows me to see the mud at the bottom. Sometimes it brings the reflection of the sky and trees into focus. I see both my shadow and my reflection. I find it interesting how that can relate to individual agency in relation to the world.

The water striders in “Between” walk on the surface of the pond. They are one of few creatures that can inhabit that very thin space between the air and the water. I wish to understand these between spaces as they relate to how I see the spaces around and inside of my self.

L. C. - What's the purpose or goal of your work?

A. TS. - I try to understand myself and what is important to me. I try to exist in the world in a more fulfilling way. I also want to make beautiful and surprising images. I want to break out of confined ways of seeing, and I think I can help others do that too.

Her work described by an art historian PhDr. Bohumír Bachratý, Csc: "Landscape inspirations and paintings, putting the invisible on the map. Inner feelings, states of body and mind, moods and the visions of the painter both in the landscape and soul." Radka Vom herself says about her work the following: "I'm fascinated and inspired by landscape, but not only the natural one, also by a city landscape or our inner landscape. By its individual life independent from us, the way it changes and affects us and how we affect it on the contrary, how it all looks from the outside."

INTERVIEW with Radka Vom

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Radka Vom, who participated during the collective exhibitions: "Panta Rhei" at Lega Navale Italiana (May 08-26, 2023) and "Shapes of Nature", at Spazio Opera Gallery (June 01-30, 2023) in Matera with the dipthyc: "Flow".

Carmela Loiacono - Can you introduce yourself and tell us about the moment you decided to pursue a career as an artist?

Radka Vom - I was born in the center of Prague, in the Czech Republic. I have been drawing and painting since I was little. In 2005, I got married and moved to Slovakia. I felt a bit alone with a small child in a foreign country, so I started painting more and more. I also started going to VŠVU school and taking private lessons. My friend, also a painter, Igi Brezo, once brought an art curator, PhDr. Bohumil Bachratý, CSc, to my studio and he was enthusiastic about my works and immediately started planning an exhibition. We have made several great exhibitions together since that time. That was a big turning point in my career and I realized then that I can prove something in painting, that painting is what I want to do, that I want to continue doing it and that it is what fulfills me. In 2020, I moved back to Prague, where I continue my work. I have two daughters.

C. L. - What is your background?

R. V. - I come from a family of doctors and goldsmiths. My grandfather, and generations of his ancestors before him, was an artistic goldsmith, which always fascinated me, and I tried my hand at goldsmithing myself. My father and brother are doctors, and I also originally studied at medical school. Growing up in the center of Old Prague had an incredible charm, old corners, dark alleys, old lanterns, theaters, concerts, exhibitions and other cultural events. Everything was just a few steps away. It can be said that I have been surrounded by art since I was a child, and somehow, I had and still have the need to continue doing art too.

C. L. - Can you tell us about the process you use to create your works? What is your typical workday routine?

R. V. - I usually go to the studio right after lunch. I do sports in the morning, then I work at the computer and in the afternoon, I move to the studio. I have to adapt for a while, I look at the paintings in progress, think about how to proceed with them, mix colors, finish the frames, etc., just small jobs to get started. As for the creation process, of course it starts with some inspiration, I have hundreds of them in my head and in my notes. I like larger canvases, 100cm x 100cm and larger, I have 2 canvases 100cm x 150cm and one 200cm x 300cm in progress right now. I layer glazes in different densities and each requires at least 1 day to dry, so I always have several canvases open at once. It's not always ideal, it requires a lot of concentration and imagination and patience to transition from one to the other like that, but it somehow worked out for me. That's why I like to often work on a diptych, 2 canvases at the same time, which are related to each other. This goes on for a maximum of 4-5 hours with a break. After such a time in the studio, I'm usually exhausted and I have to go do some "ground" activity, something in the garden, shopping, housework or around the children.

C. L. - During the exhibitions Panta Rhei and Shapes of Nature you presented your work diptych “Flow”. Please, describe your artwork.

R. V. - Diptych Flow is one of my favourite smaller works. I had these canvases in progress for a long time. Maybe that's why the Flow, the flow of water, time, energy, thoughts. Such a calm, never-ending flow, changing in time and space, but at the same time reliably the same.

C. L. - When do you know that an artwork is finished?

R. V. - To know when is an artwork finished is sometimes a hard thing. Most of the time I just know it suddenly. But it also happened to me that I missed the right moment, moved on and the artwork was never "the right one". By the finishing, everything can be destroyed, but if the right moment is not missed, it is the magic that makes the picture something special.

C. L. - How has your style changed over time?

R. V. - My style has changed and is still changing. It's a process. I can't force myself to paint in one style all the time. Just as a person changes and shapes himself, so does the style of painting. Not everyone is like that, but I am. Sometimes a style just wears out. I need to try new procedures, new ways of expression, experiment, that's freedom, I'm fascinated by the possibilities of painting. I heard somewhere that "Everything has been here before, but something new can always be discovered". 

But at the same time, I still use the same tools, I still prefer to use a wide spatula, a wide brush and different concentrations of colors. And since I work with acrylic paints, water, water makes magic.

C. L. - Do you have any upcoming exhibitions we should know about?

R. V. - In November I participate in a collective exhibition of contemporary art at the Ikonica Gallery in Milan. Also I participate in a collective exhibition Prague Open Art in November too. Otherwise, I am looking for a space to organize a solo exhibition in Prague. So far, I had the only solo exhibition in Prague in 2017, in the wonderful space of an old factory, which unfortunately no longer exists. I would like to find something similar. So I'm looking and looking forward.

Statement

"Abstraction is not chaos. Each of my paintings has its own signature. I let myself be guided by emotions and bring my feelings onto the canvas. In doing so, every basic idea is my focus, I do not make sketches and I think in the original. The colour is an expression of my passion.

Every stroke is emotion, if I am not satisfied, the abstract allows me to wipe it off, cover it up, change it or even destroy it. In the abstract, colour gives me the freedom to work through, edit, change or adapt until it finally fits my basic idea." 

INTERVIEW with Irina Schiwon

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Irina Schiwon, who participated during the collective exhibition "Inner Colors",  in Matera at Lega Navale venue, from September 14 to October 08, 2023 with the artworks: "Feeling", "The sail" and "Morning red".

Carmela Loiacono - Could you please introduce yourself and tell us how you started in the arts?

Irina Schiwon - I was born in 1958 in Altaj, Siberia. From 1975 studied in St. Petersburg and in 1982 I gradueted in Diploma "Computer Science.

From 1984 I moved to the the German Democratic Republic (GDR).

Until 1998 I was project engineer in microelectronics. 

I realized my first own abstract paintings. 

From 1990 I stepped into the independence and from 2002 I'm employed in an international German engineering company. 

In 2007 cancer illness, "Painting as therapy…out of the disease. 

From 2010 my first own small exhibitions in Moscow and Berlin. 

From 2015 I established of my own small studio in Werder near Berlin with various commissioned works for private and commercial interested parties. 

I exhibited my paintings in Magdeburg, Dresden, Cuxhaven and Berlin, among others: 2023 Solo exhibition "ARTE-ANDO" in Castellina in Chianti, Tuscany and the Exhibition "BORDERS ART FAIR" in the Palazzo Albrizzi-Capello, Venice.

2007 was my fateful year. Diagnosis cancer horrible and insidious.

Thanks to my doctor.  He gave me on the way "throw the paint on the wall and make them abstract mythical creatures. Art can heal". And further he said... "You shall paint pictures, because art is one of the greatest building blocks in the concert of all therapies".

C. L. - Who are your biggest artistic influences?

I. S. - My greatest artistic influences are Hilma af Kingt, Max Ernst, Serge Poliakoff, Joan Miro and the painters of the Bauhaus. 

C. L. - When is your favorite time of day to create?

I. S. - I just paint according to mood, at any time of day. Even the night is not exempt.

C. L. - What do you like about your paintings?

I. S. - I live in my abstract painting. It is composing with colors, emotions, contrasts and lines. 

C. L. - During the exhibition Inner Colors you presented your works: "Feeling", "The sail" and "Morning red". Could you please describe them?

I. S. - My presented works: 

"Feeling" …is for me the inner eruption of my emotions like a volcano.

"The sail" … My Wannsee in Berlin... on nice days a refuge for the sailors and my inspiration. 

"Morning Red" ...New York ... Inspiration from the sea....

C. L. - Does art help you in other areas of your life?

I. S. - With the help of art I have learned to face criticism. The conversations are for me the fundus that enable me to show my pictures to the public. I dare… what a wonderful feeling.

C. L. - What exciting projects are you working on right now? Can you share some of the future plans for your artworks?

I. S. - At the moment I am preparing for my grand finale this year. At the end of October, I have my solo exhibition at the Hundertwasser House in Magdeburg, where a book about my art will also be published. Over 60 pictures show my diversity in the exhibition .... "yesterday… today… tomorrow"....

Her classic style is inspired by the Impressionist masters who made her love painting. The fragmentation of objects and spaces, she believes that came from Cubism, from great painters such as: Gris, Braque and Picasso. But many other contemporary artists influenced her work: Julie Mehretu, who, through her works addresses political, social, and cultural themes, Victor Man - who approaches themes from his own biography and Alina Gherasim who express her experiences through collages and paintings. 

Alida needs to translate the mental images, related to contemporary events and her feelings within, into forms that can transmit her own intentions to others; her works are her own experiments and represent the desire to convey messages to the world!

Artist Statement

"My values represent the landmarks according to which I approach a subject that I want to present through art. They function as an inner compass, and the way of expressing them has developed with my evolution in this field.

I am part of a typology of artists interested in exploring places, spaces, and objects. I try to be involved in presenting events and analyse how they continue to have an impact over us.

The concept of my works is inspired by the desire of exploring geometry through still life, through landscapes, through faces. Starting from mental images, I create sketches through digital manipulation, sketches, which, later, I reinterpret through painting, with the desire to reveal to the viewer the geometry and colour that surrounds us. Each work, each series of works, in one way or another, is linked to a contemporary event.

The sensitivity to the social environment and respect for the past means, for me, bringing the old models into the present by combining the traditional approach with the new technology, in order to enter into a silent dialogue with my audience. And, as the viewer reacts, the enthusiasm for the new may call into question the perception of the old, of identity, and of themselves."

INTERVIEW with Alida Velea

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Alida Velea, who participated during the collective exhibition "Inner Colors",  in Matera at Lega Navale venue, from September 14 to October 08, 2023 with the artworks: "Self Portrait", "A place", "Still Life 11, Lock up" and "Still Life 14, Lock up".

Carmela Loiacono - Could you please introduce yourself and tell us what's your background?

Alida Velea - I am a Romanian multimedia artist who likes to work in different mediums (e.g., painting, photography, video-art, digital art, drawing) but with a passion for painting. More precisely, I like to combine mediums, especially the digital one with painting.

Regarding my professional training, I have graduated from three universities, in the following order: engineering, management, and fine arts. The last one I have graduated at University of Hertfordshire (United Kingdom) with the First-Class Honors Diploma. 

C. L. - What influences your work? What inspires you? Why do you make art?

A. V. - What inspires me? Almost everything I see and feel happening around me, with contemporary social events being among the most significant.

As for the influences on my art and the reason why I decided to become an artist, I believe it can be summed up in one sentence: the Impressionist painters made me fall in love with art! Renowned artists such as Monet, Manet, Pissarro, and the post-impressionist vision of van Gogh showed me the beauty in art. Morandi is also a significant reference for me.

Later, however, I discovered that a combination between cubism and surrealism is what would suit my style very well. And although I am a good figurative painter, I also like to explore abstract art.

C. L. - Please, describe your creative process.

A. V. - My creative process is as important as it is difficult and long. 

Following that, I embark on an extensive research process that includes using the Internet, reading books, visiting galleries, and exploring museums. I write down roughly what each of works will contain; from which perspective I look at the subject, how much I want to reveal from it and how much I want it to be a challenge for the viewer. Then I start the sketches, which can be drawings or digital collages. After I have created them, I choose the dimensions of the canvases and try to adapt the sketches to the dimensions; process in which I emphasize certain shadows, delete objects, change total the perspective and so on.I put the drawing on the canvas and I start painting. Of course, the color or brushwork also undergoes changes.

Perhaps this is why I only manage to complete one series per year, with more works in smaller sizes and fewer in larger canvases.

Of these I choose to present a few to the public; usually the ones I consider the best.

C. L. - Where are you come from and how does that affect your work?

A. V. - I particularly like this question!

I was born in a small Romanian town, Slanic, surrounded by nature and with many customs, and traditions specific to the area. Each area of Romania has its own folklore, mostly related with the religious holidays. These customs have a mystical aura, with biblical stories adapted to everyday life or transformed into fantastic or surreal tales. There's a strong presence of mysticism and the supernatural. I have always been fascinated by these stories and have carefully studied our popular customs.

I think their influence is evident in my works; from the fact that nothing is as we see it to the use of traditional Romanian motifs (see, for example, my last series of works, Feminine Frames).

C. L. - When is your favorite time of day to create?

A. V. - It depends on many things; but I could say that I do the creative part more during the night (I draw, create certain digital collages, search about one subject, about different combinations of mediums) and the part related to working on the canvas, I do it more in the daylight.

C. L. - How do you go about beginning a new piece? Do you have an idea already in mind, or do you start working with materials or sketches to find the departure point?

A. V. - I work in series of artworks. I think about a specific topic, something I saw / heard and impressed me. Then, begins the research part (in different areas) and the creative part. When I have an idea about how I could approach the work or the series, I start drawing or creating digital collages. As a rule, they undergo many transformations. I start on the canvas when I already have a sketch. Of course, many times other ideas come to me and I apply them directly on the canvas. 

It is a complicated process but I love it!

C. L. - Where do you see your art going in a couple of years?

A. V. - I love what I do and every work contains a part of me. It is a symbiotic process: I put something of myself in the canvas and I receive from the viewers what I gave. In psychology, symbiosis is defined as the psychological state in which the contents of one person's unconscious are experienced by the other person.

So, I hope that over time, my art will grow both in terms of quality and in its ability to convey a powerful message to the viewers.

Exhibitions

・August 2021: FOCUS ON COLOUR OF LIFE at the Saatchi Gallery, London, U.K

・September 2021: “FOCUS ON COLOUR OF EMOTION” at The Fitzrovia Gallery, London, U.K

・October 2021: Exhibition at the Carrousel du Louvre, Paris,France

・March 2022: digital exhibition “War and Peace” by art man gallery

・June 2022: exhibition at Rihgaroyal Hotel Galllery in Osaka, Japan

・July 2022: exhibition at GRAND NIKKO TOKYO DAIBA Hotel in Tokyo, Japan

・September 2022: Exhibition at the Carrousel du Louvre, Paris,France

・July 2023: M.A.D.S. Art Gallery, art works were featured in Times Square in New York City

・August 2023: Exhibition at Senbikiya Gallery and won Art Award at Senbikiya Gallery 2023, Tokyo, Japan 

ARTIST STATEMENT

"I hope that my paintings will always be beside you, no matter whether your days are good or not. Life is not easy, and you need healing and compassion. I hope my paintings will continuously convey happiness and courage like a fountain, so that you can rest and get ready to go beyond today and tomorrow.

My paintings are colorful and vibrant, depicting landscapes that resemble scenes from a dream, romantic and enchanting. 

Water is a common theme in my artwork. I continue to paint water because it represents healing, as well as the source of ideas and hope. Although there are no actual lakes in this location in Tokyo, I chose to depict water to symbolize the nourishment of people's hearts in a busy city. In Matera, there is a small river flowing, and I have depicted a larger river in my painting to enhance the radiance of Matera's moonlit nights and to bring solace to people's hearts. The composition of my paintings in Tokyo and Matera is remarkably similar, and if the river in Matera’s painting flows into the lake in Tokyo's paintings, it would be a symbol of friendship, which would be wonderful." 

INTERVIEW with Miho Endo

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Miho Endo, who participated during the collective exhibition "Inner Colors",  in Matera at Lega Navale venue, from September 14 to October 08, 2023 with the artworks: "Beautiful Matera" and "Beautiful Tokyo".

Carmela Loiacono - Could you please introduce yourself and tell us about the moment you decided to pursue a career as an artist? 

Miho Endo - I am Miho Endo, born and raised in a nature-rich town in Fukuoka, Japan. I am currently working as an impressionist painter, influenced by Claude Monet. Originally, I dreamed of becoming a diplomat and studied international economics and politics in the United States and Spain. While studying in Spain, I had the opportunity to experience art, and I often sketched during my travels in Europe. I feel that painting is as wonderful a career as being a diplomat because it can move people beyond language and culture. When I paint, people often gather around me and say that my paintings are beautiful, enriching, and provide a happy moment. I continue to paint to give people such moving experiences.

C. L. - How would you describe yourself and your artwork? 

M. E. - I value my personal time as much as the time I spend with others. I enjoy immersing myself in my own world, deepening my thoughts, taking walks to appreciate the beauty of nature, lighting candles, and spending time for healing. My paintings reflect this lifestyle, using pastel colors and soft touches to express a sense of comfort and healing. I incorporate cute motifs such as dogs, horses, swans, and butterflies to create a soothing atmosphere. I would be happy if my paintings could bring light and hope to anyone who sees them.

C. L. - Where do you get your inspiration from? 

M. E. - Inspiration resides in the beauty of nature. There are many healing elements in everyday life, such as the gently shining moon seen during a walk, the river's surface that seems to speak to you, the colors of Japanese trees that change with the seasons, and the cute eyes of dogs. Moments that have moved me, such as the starry sky and flower fields seen or the rainbow-colored light in my dreams, have also become inspirations for my paintings. 

C. L. - What emotions do you hope the viewers experience when looking at your art?  

M. E. - I want those who see my paintings to feel healing and hope. Even on days when they are in despair, I would be happy if they could feel relieved and comforted by looking at my paintings. My paintings have a certain childlike quality, with mysterious lines that are not perfect, but rather like a cluster of lines that speak to people, saying "You are wonderful just the way you are." I hope that people can find solace in my paintings, especially in our busy society.

C. L. - How do you go about beginning a new piece? Do you have an idea already in mind, or do you start working with materials or sketches to find the departure point? 

M. E. - When I create a new painting, I imagine it based on the scenery that moved me on the day. I don't make any sketches, use a palette, or brushes. I spread the colors directly onto the canvas and shape the painting with fingers and cottons. As I paint, the original concept often changes, and I add a castle, a dog, stars, or mysterious light, choosing colors as I feel to make the painting more beautiful and comfortable.

C. L. - What is your dream project? 

M. E. - My dream project is to travel the world, find new scenery, and show my paintings to people from different countries. Paintings can convey emotions beyond language, culture, and race, and can be passed down to future generations. Although my paintings will continue to change throughout my long life, the foundation of healing will remain the same. There may be times when I am too passionate about painting to create, but my dream project is to continue painting and conveying healing to as many people as possible.

C. L. - Do you have any upcoming events or exhibitions we should know about?

M. E. - The next exhibition will be held in Japan in January 2024 as part of a Japan-France friendship event. The painting is a bright pink work overflowing with wisteria flowers around a bridge. This painting has won the grand prize at the event. Additionally, a second exhibition is planned in Matera, and I am grateful to you, Dr. Carmela, for inviting me to the wonderful event.

Artist statement

"Painting is a way for me to find peace and fresh visions in the surreal world of art. I create paintings that are a combination of traditional oil painting techniques and the possibilities offered by modern technology. Recently, I started my work by sketching the first ideas, which I then transform into 3D scenery, and finally recreate it on canvas. With my art, I invite the viewer to establish a bond based on a sense of security wrapping the soul thirsty for tenderness."

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Ewe Klimik, who participate during the collective exhibition "Inner Colors", in Matera at Lega Navale venue, from Setptember 14 to October 08, 2023 with the work "Framed". 

Carmela Loiacono - Could you please introduce yourself and tell us about the moment you decided to pursue a career as an artist?

Ewe Klimik - I am an artist and designer from Poland. I decided to work as a professional artist while finishing my master's thesis. I was in the process of graduating from The Academy of Fine Arts with a major in design, but the work in the department required more technical thinking. At that time, painting was my favorite break from everyday life. A lot was going on during this period. It was the pandemic's beginning, so I continued working on my diploma while locked inside my four walls. In addition, right after graduation, I was planning to move abroad. These events caused many abstract ideas to be created in my mind, which I decided to pour onto canvas. In the course of my work, it turned out that this is what I want to devote myself to.

C. L. - How would you describe yourself and your artwork?

E. K. - I am a person who greatly appreciates peace and positive vibrations. I like to share this energy in my work. Furthermore, I would describe my work as surreal and abstract. Despite the fact that in my latest artwork I was tempted to include realistic touches depicting a group of women, it is the subtle brushstrokes and blurred contours that will probably become my trademark.

C. L. - Where do you find inspiration?

E. K. - I have the feeling that I never look for it, but rather it finds me. It comes as such a surprise. Once, it is baroque architecture, other it is the female body, nature or places I have recently visited. After all, I always try to document everything that inspires me.

C. L. - You have been selected for the exhibition Inner Colors with your artwork "Framed". Please, describe your creative process to realize this work and its meaning.

E. K. - The idea to create the work arose in a restaurant where we celebrated my father's 60th birthday. We had a table with a lovely view of the lake. Then I thought that it might be a great idea to start a new cycle, i.e. colorful nature and people resembling sculptures looking at what is happening on the other side. Although the painting "Framed" shows the desert during sunset, I was actually inspired by the view of the city during a trip to Massa Carrara. I simply decided that gentle brush movements would better reflect the subtlety I wanted to present in the painting. This painting was uniquely created in two cities. In Łódź and my hometown in Szczytno. I divided the creative process into two stages. During the first stage, I worked on a sketch of the entire painting and painting the landscape. During the second stage, I painted women and ornaments winding around the landscape. Maintaining this order was very important because it gave the whole image a three-dimensional character.

C. L. - We had the pleasure of meeting each other personally and also other selected artists. What was your experience during the exhibition opening?

E. K. - I was charmed by the exhibition venue. Inside the cave, it gave an incredibly intimate character to the whole event. It's not often you get to visit such places. Namely, very friendly organizers, artists, guests, and delicious refreshments! May there be more and more such gatherings!

C. L. - Does art help you in other areas of your life?

E. K. - Definitely! For me personally, it helps to release all sorts of emotions. Creating also develops imagination tremendously, which is very useful, in various situations in life, where creativity is the only best solution.

C. L. - Professionally, what’s your goal or goals for the future?

E. K. - For more than a year, I have been working on jewelry designs that relate to my paintings. Since then, I have collected many interesting ideas. The time has come to implement them! I'm already looking forward to it!

She lived in the Netherlands, and put down roots in a magical place in Italy. On this path, the Museums were her best travel companions.

Study the journey of art from its beginnings, until today; The interest in knowing the life of the painters and their times, and contemplating their works, is a constant discovery that Painting is an expression of the soul.

In front of each canvas she thinks about the author, why in each one, of such lights and shadows, features, expressions, colors. What would he feel at that moment, what was happening around him, what were his visions.

From Lorenzo Lotto to Ghirlandaio, Fortuny, Rothko, Modigliani, de Chirico, everyone has recorded something on her, they have impacted with an image, an emotion, a theme.

Now she lives in Madrid, and her best time in week is the visit at the Prado Museum, a place where she enjoys each conference, each course, each minute between its rooms as an art observer, a passion that dominates her hours.

During the sad pandemic, she found refuge in this little atelier. Thanks to technology, she was able to recover her class time with Corina, now virtual.

It was a time to connect with the interior, to try new techniques, new supports, new materials. Collage, wood, cardboard, anilines and watercolors were incorporated into her work and today accompany canvases and oil paintings.

It was also a time to express feelings, to speak through the works. A time to create to show our inner world and our emotions, all of them. It was a time of enjoyment, letting the materials flow and play. Ultimately to be free… within ourselves.

Today, she says is happy when she finds find herself in front of a new canvas, a piece of cardboard or a blank sheet of paper, which can be transformed with strokes and brushstrokes full of feelings.

ARTIST STATEMENT

"Since I can remember, art, history and reading have been my passions. Even though I decided to study Law and worked as a lawyer for more than 20 years, my passions never abandoned me. They accompanied me, as I start in an Art Academy while I was at University. My beginnings were with Oil and Canvas, but now, after 40 years, I’m happy to enjoy all techniques, materials and supports, and feel very comfortable making abstratc artwork, playing with geometrical shapes, circles, and black lines.

The twists and turns of life took me to a new destination: Europe. Once there, I lived in the Netherlands, and put down roots in a magical place in Italy.

It was at this point in my life, when I decided to follow my dreams and passions. I studied Art History and began to transform my passions into my main activity.

For me, Art is the expression of soul. I think that my whole life is on my artwork, and my artworks shows my life, and the influencies of all the artist that impacts on me in several ways. Today, I find myself happy whenever I face a new canvas, a piece of cardboard or a blank piece of paper, that I can transform with brush strokes, feeling that they they came straight from my soul."

INTERVIEW with Adriana Setter

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Adriana Setter, who participated during the collective exhibition "Inner Colors",  in Matera at Lega Navale venue, from September 14 to October 08, 2023 with the artworks:  "Equilibrio", "Colores del Campo", "Limpiando pinceles" and "City Purple". 

Carmela Loiacono - Could you please introduce yourself and tell us how you started in the arts? 

Adriana Setter - I'm Adriana Setter, almost happy 60 years, mother of 2 wonderful daughters, and blessed with a great partner since 40 years.

I was born in Argentina, but I'm Italian too… by love and choice.

C. L. - What's your background? 

A. S. - I'm a Lawyer, but since I can remember, art, history and reading have been my passions. 

Even though I decided to study Law and worked as a lawyer for more than 20 years, my passions never abandoned me. On the contrary they accompanied me, as I start in an Art Academy while I was at University.

In 2006, turns of fate took me to Europe, an infinite Universe of diverse cultures, art and history. I took advantage in this change of scenery, and made a fundamental decision:  began to study Art History... and continued painting.

C. L. - Can you tell us about the process you use to create your works? What is your typical workday routine? 

A. S. - Well… that's complicate to answer :-). In general, is a process of thinking, like series or studios, pieces that I organize from the size till the colors.

But sometimes… is the magic of express yourself without any pattern or rule, or even a previous thinking. Is just… ok… Let´s go…

I have my atelier at home, that means… I'm always there :-) . As a routine, in the morning I organize papers, mails, all the "administrative work" - that's something remain from my previous life as a lawyer :-), or cleaning and checking materials. 

And in the afternoon…..best part starts!!! Create, Paint… Always with music or the radio ON!!!

2 days a week, I have my virtual Painting Lessons with my lovely friend and best teacher Corina Caldelas, my guide since 30 years ago.

C. L. - Who are your biggest artistic influences? 

A. S. - Of course, all the great Masters… Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli…, impossible to mention all of them, but from Lorenzo Lotto to Ghirlandaio, Fortuny, Rothko, Modigliani, de Chirico, everyone has recorded something on me, they all have impacted with an image, an emotion, a theme.

And I can't avoid mention Alberto Delmonte and Emilio Pettorutti, great representatives of the constructivism that thought me so much through their pieces.

C. L. - During the exhibitions Inner Colors, you presented your works: "Equilibrio", "Colores del Campo", "Limpiando pinceles" and "City Purple". Could you please describe these works? 

A. S. - Those four pieces that you have selected, are all different in tecniques and also from different periods, but the common chain is the use of colors.

City Purple is a small format, using only one color: Purple. Lines and shadows have been done with white and yellow pencils.

Equilibrio is a geometric artwork, balancing textures and shapes. I used oil and pastel, with several liquid and diluid layers.

Colores del Campo… I always have some small canvas to test colors or materials. This is one of those… I was testing some colours for other painting. After finishing the big painting... I came back to it and some familiar shapes and colors of nature start coming: all those memories from "El Campo Argentino". So I decided to keep working in the tester, and I'm happy with the results.

Limpiando pinceles... Same story, this canvas was also a tester... and I kept applying brushstrokes on it until some city starts revealing. However, the truth is that I was testing layers and cleaning my brushes!! So I don't change the name, because it was born like that...

C. L. - When do you know that an artwork is finished? 

A. S. - When I'm in front of it, and I don't wanna add anything else except my signature. At this moment I realized that I expressed everything on it and the piece seems to say "It's Ok…."

C. L. - What exciting projects are you working on right now? Can you share some of the future plans for your artworks?

A. S. - Well, I have 2 upcoming exhibitions: In the House of Parliament of Malta, from the 6th to the 23th October; and in the Central State Museum in Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan, during November.

Also I will be award in Malta with the prize "I Segnalati", and in Washington, with the International Prize "Art Leaders".

This year was really amazing, plenty of exhibits and recognitions. I feel so grateful and honoured for that.

For next year, I will join a couple of fairs in Madrid, Spain, and also in Algarve, Portugal, and working in a SOLO exhibit in Hilversum, The Netherlands.

In terms of art, I'm working in a project that's a tribute to all women that left as a legacy…. and also in other regarding Doors…. 

But for sure, more will come :) 

And will be very happy if one of that "more" , is working again with you, Carmela.

Riitta Nelimarkka has received the honorary title professor from the president of Finland 2008. She has held several positions of trust ao. a board member of Kiasma support foundation since 2017 and the chairman of Nelimarkka-foundation 1987-2021, 1921 - the curator. 

She has been several times rewarded by the Finnish state, and by numerous international art biennales and film festivals on her books and animated films, latest prize being the big textile in the Florence biennale 2021. In 2016 she received the Order of France with the distinction of Officier des Arts et Lettres. 

Virtually: Riitta Nelimarkka BONGA ART youtube: https://youtu.be/r9WZucI8qsY

https://artspaces.kunstmatrix.com/en/exhibition/4884308/riitta-nelimarkka-happiness-allowed

www.nelimarkka.com

www.bonga.fi

Artist Statement

"I have to say that the longer I have been making art, the less I understand where it comes from, where it is going, and why I do it. 

The starting shot for a set of works may be some scrawny little sketch scratched out even decades ago, something found in a drawer that inspires me with its authenticity and unassumingness. For example, a little croque drawing of a cupid bearing a star, the model being my writer son Max Seeck, was the starting shot for the musical suite Preludes, which includes hundreds of paintings and photographs.

I see it as contrived to present theses or manifestos about the principles of my art, even with the benefit of hindsight, since I see art that is worth aspiring to, in all the different stages of its lifespan, as being by nature hard to schematize and as refusing to stay in one place. It is specifically this unpindownable quality that keeps it alive, for both its maker and its recipient. 

My fundamental areas of predilection and my artistic themes are actually timeless in the manner of “the human is beautiful”. This, of course, does not mean that some inept piece that has just been dashed off would be acceptable as an artwork.

My “instruments” are drawing, color, movement, music, opera, cosmology, dreams, strange creatures, surrealistic interpretations, the endlessness of variations, hybrids of good and evil, a nice indifference to the mainstream, optimal independence, and cheerful risk-taking.

Even though my works are colorful and crazy, good-humored (so they say) and bring joy, they also make clandestine statements of opinion, and behind the proscenium curtain of cheerfulness we may get a glimpse of backstage tragedy."

INTERVIEW with Ritta Nelimarkka 

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Ritta Nelimarkka, who participated during the collective exhibition "Inner Colors",  in Matera at Lega Navale venue, from September 14 to October 08, 2023 with the artworks: "L'enfant du Jardin de Monet" and "Les petites sauvages dans le jardin de Monet".

Carmela Loiacono - Can you tell us about the moment you decided to pursue a career as an artist? 

Riitta Nelimarkka - O la la! The moment! Perhaps it was as I at the age of 15 wrote the biography/novel of Vincent van Gogh. Irving Stone: Vincent van Gogh: Lust for Life.

I felt deeply moved and got enthusiastic about how an artist sets art as the very first priority in his life, and also how art can be surprisingly seen as almost a lover.

C. L. - What's your background? 

R. N. - My grand father prof. Eero Nelimarkka was a famous artist in Finland and abroad too. 

My parents were both engeneers. My father, who was also an inventor, established a internationally succesful ventile company Neles Ltd.

C. L. - Who are your biggest artistic influences? 

R. N. - I should name them a lot, because I do have had very vary and varying and inconstant influences.

Maurice Ravel, Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, Milan Kundera, Giacomo Puccini and the classics like Matisse, Bonnoard and Picasso. 

C. L. - When is your favorite time of day to create? 

R. N. - In the morning, not too early, I start the day with superblack coffee, then take a swim in the see (year around) and do some yoga. After these maneuvres I feel like a nice tabula rasa :) and I am ready for anything. Also the time late evening up to midnight is fruitful. 

C. L. - You have been selected to present your artworks: "Les petits sauvages du jardin de Monet" and "L'enfant vert du Jardin de Monet". Could you please describe these works? 

R. N. - These art works belong to an extensive series PRELUDES 2016 - 2023, which consists of semirealisticly drawn expressive, sensitive portraits about children at their games in dreamlike landscapes. 

The inspirator has been the fantastic music of Claude Debussy, especially his Preludes, and also the beautiful garden of another Claude, the painter Claude Monet. I made a video about these scenes which was screened in Helsinki Musiikkitalo together with the Finnish Radio Orchestra.

C. L. - Does art help you in other areas of your life? 

R. N. - Surely it is a great aid. I "consume" art, expecially music, books all sorts and exhibitions, regularly and spontaneously concerts, opera, museums...

Of course pure making art keeps one close to real life, but also it shapes a perfect instrument for escaping the dullness of sometimes heavy everyday. 

C. L. - Professionally, what's your goal? 

R. N. - I probably work as an artist, because I want to live life relatively free from authorities. Also I have always been interested in new ways and technics to filter my experiences, my feelings, thoughts and values in this strange world.

Everything comes from the heart and from the head. 

I aim to be honest, not false, to renew myself, not to repeat, and of a great importance, to reach the audience, (not just 100%, it is not even ideal), but many enough to get assured, that I do not toil in vain. I aim to create a dialogue, not a monologe. 

ARTIST STATEMENT

"The act of creating serves as contemplative process through which I attempt to show the connection of the universal spirit of all living things. I focus and am absorbed in the meditative act of painting. The experience of being embraced by the universal spirit is expressed through luminosity of color and light, movement through gesture, richness through layering of color, and depth through intertwining mark making. The element of geometric shapes coming through manifests beauty through balance, rhythm and harmony. The calligraphic mark with a sense of forever being repeated represents the infinite consciousness. The movement and the energy of the calligraphic marks show the constant state of flux or vibration of each thing."

INTERVIEW with Shafaq Ahmad 

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Shafaq Ahmad, who participated during the collective exhibition "Inner Colors",  in Matera at Lega Navale venue, from September 14 to October 08, 2023 with the artworks: "Of me of me be conscious" and "Be and it is".

Carmela Loiacono - Could you please introduce yourself and tell us how you started in the arts? 

Shafaq Ahmad - My name is Shafaq Ahmad, and I was born and raised in Pakistan until the age of 20 and have since lived in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Iran and the United States.  I am a multimedia artist and designer based in Texas, United States. 

Actually, I wanted to study architecture but since there was no program available where I was living, at the time, I opted to go pursue my Bachelors of Fine Arts at the Virginia Commonwealth University with a design major. I finished my Masters of Fine Arts degree in studio arts some years later from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas.

C. L. - What's your first experience in art making? 

S. A. - Of course, as children most of us have the opportunity to make art in school or at home. One of the profound experiences as a child for me was to learn to write the Arabic alphabet on a wooden tablet with a bamboo pen and ink. It was not meant to be as art but much later when I attempted to make art I discovered that experience of writing on the wooden tablet played an important role in my art practice. As I only had one wooden tablet, to use it over and over again the surface had to be covered with gauche called Gachi and that allowed for the reuse of the wooden surface. Although the wooden tablet could also be washed between the applications still a ghost image of the previous writing lingered on. This layering of writing is obvious in my work.

C. L. - What's your background? 

S. A. - I was born in Rawalpindi, Pakistan and grew up in different parts of the country with my family. We have a very diverse population in Pakistan and each region has its own language, literature, music, folk art, and traditional dresses. One thing in common is the vibrant colors, unique handmade crafts and textures present everywhere. I was also very fortunate to be part of the family where the art in all forms was appreciated.  Although, growing up I thought I was not too interested in the arts but was able to attend many poetry sessions, literary discussions, and had access to learn about visual arts, art history and antiques. All this knowledge growing up created a thirst in me to explore art in all forms, especially during my travels around the globe. 

C. L. - Where do you get your inspiration from? 

S. A. - I grew up with a sense of something bigger other than what I was and the world I was in. This was my feeling even at a very young age. I began to understand it a more through my faith and my constant strife to find the truth. This is the basis for my artwork to seek the truth which is unlimited and has left me in amazement.

There are various other factors which affect the choice I make as an artist to express myself. Of course, the literature and arts of the Islamic world are a major inspiration for me, as is Nature around me. I see human being as a microcosm and the cosmos as Macrocosm. I am also very much interested in the developments in the the field of technology, astronomy and astro physics. 

The vocabulary in my art consists of repetition, layering, geometric shapes coming through which creates a depth in the final image and a sense of balance and harmony.

C. L. - How long does it take to produce one work? 

S. A. - Depending on the medium I am using to create the artwork the time differs. I like to work in series for the most part which could comprise of various media. 

For a single painting I would say could take between 4-6 months. But of course, I am always working on more than one painting at a time. 

Digital work for the most part takes less time. For example, in my series Forty Days Forty Nights I created forty images in forty consecutive days, one image per day.

C. L. - You have been selected for the exhibition Inner Colors with your artworks "Of me of me be conscious" and "Be and it is". Please, describe your contemplative process to create your artworks and their inner meaning. 

S. A. - These two paintings are a contemplation on the Creator who I believe is present everywhere and has no beginning and no end. If we become conscious of this fact then we begin to see how everything is connected in the cosmos.

C. L. - We had the pleasure of meeting each other personally and also other selected artists. What was your experience during the exhibition opening? 

S. A. - It was a great pleasure to meet you in person finally after corresponding for few months. I commend you and your team, for a very well thought out and meaningful exhibition and all the effort that was put into it. I was able to grasp fully your vision for bringing artists from all corners of the world, allowing us to express our inner colors. I was very excited to meet with other artists as well and learn a bit about their thought process and creative practice. I applaud all individuals and organizations who is supporting this event. Everyone was welcoming and expressed a lot of interest and warmth throughout the evening. I hope that this exhibition is as successful as you hoped for and I look forward to further collaborations.

C. L. - What are your new career goals? 

S. A. - I just want to keep making art. I love to collaborate with other artists, curators, art experts and educators to further my quest to learn and to grow my experiences through sharing ideas and thoughts and cooperate with others in meaningful ways in order to evolve as a person and as an artist. I want to help the audience to have diverse experiences and learn about other cultures and viewpoints through the arts.

C. L. - Do you have any upcoming exhibitions or prizes we should know about?

S. A. - I have a couple of projects in the works with solo exhibitions, in the USA and abroad and will share more info as it materializes.

I am participating in the upcoming Shanghai Art Fair this Fall. 

"Whilst still working in the figurative tradition, I believe as Francis Bacon stated, that a new realism is called for; and with this in mind I attempt to create 'meaningful' painting rather than a decorative picture?"

"I believe that art needs to reflect and challenge the changes within all societies, and attempt an insightful approach of challenge to avoid sinking into complacency and banality.

My specific interest lies in the interactive play of an individuals psyche within a personal or group dialogue; the 'truer' personal nature of such an individual is often hidden behind a bland mask of social etiquette; With this concept in mind, my work is not labelled or titled; so allowing the observer a greater and freer interpretation of my work without any preconceived ideas."

INTERVIEW with David Whitfield

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with David Whitfield, who participated during the fourth exhibition of RenovArt | 100 Artists for the Future, from December 05, 2022 to January 03, 2023 in Matera at Spazio Opera Gallery with 4 works.

Carmela Loiacono - Could you please introduce yourself and tell us how you started in the arts? and your first experience in art making?

David Whitfield - I cannot remember a time when I did not draw or paint, even as a child before starting school I drew, rainy days were not a problem to me!

Throughout school and then to art college and various types of work to keep me solvent I painted, often through the night. Eventually I took early retirement from being a psychiatric nurse manager to move to France from England and had the pleasure to paint full time.

C. L. - Who are your biggest artistic influences? What is the meaning or creative inspiration for your work?

D. W. - Early influences were from at movements rather than individual artists, surrealism being the main one, although through various styles, Cézanne has been an influence when I painted in water colour; photography, books and even music have been an influence.

C. L. - Could you talk about your works exhibited during the exhibition, please? 

D. W. - I always avoid titles of my work preferring viewers to interpret the image accordingly from their own perspective and experience of life.

C. L. - How long does it take to produce one work?

D. W. - The production of a painting takes much thought and contemplation which of course is unable to be seen by the viewer, the decision whether to use a particular colour, to alter the composition, the scale, to add or subtract, in the creative process would be longer than the physical time to put paint to canvas!

C. L. - Describe how art is important to society.

D. W. - Art in society is a difficult proposition, but it helps to draw attention to different facets of society and helps contemplation and clarity of thought toward the particular subject matter of the work of art, and in the simple delight of aesthetic pleasure emanating toward the viewer.

C. L. - Does art help you in other areas of your life?

D. W. - Recently Virginia Ganucci an art critic and Uffizi gallery educator summed up the content of my work from a recent exhibition.

Having painted for nearly 30 years she has developed her personal style, and the running paint is something she puts in most of her paintings.  She works predominantly in oil, but sometimes also acryllic paint. The oil paint is in her opinion more tactile and gives a richer and deeper expression. She also uses mixed media in some artworks.  She usually meditates before starting to paint. Lately she has begun to paint the first and second layers with her fingers; it is as if she needs this close contact with the medium to feel the image evolving under her fingers. 

 ARTISTIC STATEMENT

"I want everybody to discover the magic of art, where everything is allowed and anything is possible."

INTERVIEW with Ann-Brit Christoffern

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Ann-Brit Christoffern, who participated during the itinerant exhibition Flowing Identities in Matera at Lega Navale Matera from March 1 to 22, 2023 and at Spazio Opera Gallery, from April 12 to 26, 2023 with the works: "Undertow" and "No title".   

Carmela Loiacono - Could you, please, introduce yourself and tell us how you started in the arts?

Ann-Brit Christoffern - I am an artist, I mainly paint and draw, but I also work with landart and I write an art blog. I have been painting for nearly 30 years now. I am married and have to wonderful sons. 

I have always been very interested in art, but I started painting more and more after having been to  summer school at Edinburgh College of Art in 2005. How I was met there and the people I got to know told me that this was my true path. I went back there 3 more times.  This again lead me to study art at University in Agder in 2014 and I took a BA in Arts and Crafts in 2017.  

C. L. - What's your background?

AB. C. - I wanted to study art in my youth, but I was adviced against it. So I studied law instead, but after having worked with the inland revenue for a while I realised that my heart wasn`t in it, and that I woudn`t be happy unless I changed path. Fortunately, my husband and children have supported me 100 %. 

My family moved a lot when I was a child, so I have become quite rootless. A friend told me once that I had air roots because of that, and that image got stuck in my head, and appairs often in my art. 

C. L. - You presented your works "Undertow" and "No title". Please, talk about these two works. What are their meaning?

AB. C. - I painted «No title» when I had found my personal style with the running paint.  I wanted to paint abstracts and in this work I just went with the flow and the colours and the shapes lead me forward. So I guess thats why I haven't found a title for it. 

In «Undertow» I painted an under water scenery but realized very quickly that it was also a psychological theme. Dark thoughts and previous experiences can pull you down as under water currents can, when you are out swimming. 

C. L. - The running paint is something you put in most of your paintings. Could you describe us this kind of painting, please?

AB. C. - I wanted to find my own expression and found that running paint was something that appealed to me.  It creates an illution of movement, I think. At the same time it allowes me to explore what happens when colours mix. I also find that they can create exciting lines in a painting. 

C. L. - Where do you find inspiration?

AB. C. - I find inspiration in films and books. A scene in a film can get stuck in my head and I just have to explore it. The same with books. I also find a lot of inspiration from being out in the nature.  I live near a forest and I often go out there and create landart or make scketches from threes and plants.  And I meditate, both at home before I start on a painting or out in the forest.  

C. L. - What is your dream project?

AB. C. - My dream is to be able to stay in Italy for a longer period and work on a series paintings from William Shakespeares plays. I read his plays when I was young and saw all these wonderful, colourful images in my head. I have just started on this project with a few paintings, but I would like to go to Italy and make sketches from the wonderful old arcitecture. I would love to paint and explore the various plays and end the journey I started when I was young. 

C. L. - Does art help me in other areas of my life?

AB. C. - Oh, yes it does. I know that I am a more agreable person now. I have met people I never would have met before. I am the person I was meant to be, and in a crisis it helps me to focus. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer under the pandemic painting helped me to let go of stress and anxiety. I cannot imagine a life without it. 

INTERVIEW with Greta Schnall

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Greta Schnall, who participated during the fourth exhibition of RenovArt, from December 05, 2023 to January 03, 2023 with the work: "Cyan lighted windows world"; during the itinerant exhibition Flowing Identities in Matera at Lega Navale Matera from March 1 to 22, 2023 and at Spazio Opera Gallery, from April 12 to 26, 2023 with the work: "Aqua lighted planets";  and also during the exhibition Panta Rhei, from May 08-26, 2023 at Lega Navale Venue in Matera.

Carmela Loiacono - Could you introduce yourself and tell us your first experience in art making, please? 

Greta Schnall - My name is Greta Schnall, born in 1964 in Bavaria, Germany. I have been living in beautiful Chiemgau on Lake Chiemsee for about 35 years. My main job is Co-Therapist. The best and most beautiful balance to this is my occupation with photography and its subsequent digital image processing.

Since 2006, I have specialized in nature photography, especially macro photography. I later discovered landscape photography for herself. In 2008 I began with digital image processing, which I soon practiced with increasing effort. Around 2010 I started to work with architectural photography. Especially in this area, I am continuously expanding my digital processing methods to this day.

C. L. - What's your background? 

G. S. - I am a self taught artist. Photography has been my passion for about 20 years. the subsequent image editing was added about 15 years ago and this combination became my true passion. Because I love Cubism, Architecture and Surrealism. In my artworks I try to bring them together.

C. L. - You're a digital artist. Could you, please, describe your creative process? 

G. S. - At first I’ve always been fascinated by photos of skyscrapers or skylines of the world’s metropolises. Since I don’t have such motifs in my environment, I tried to make the motifs more impressive with digital image processing. In new housing estates or industrial areas in surrounding cities, I look for modern buildings, preferably with geometric structural or decorative elements. Then I photograph their facades or facade parts. At that point, I usually already have a rough idea of the final product. I then edit the motif several times and systematically with various digital editing programs.

C. L. - During the exhibitions of RenovArt you presented "Cyan lighted windows world", "Aqua lighted planets" and "Urban landscape white", please, talk about these works. 

G. S. - Here, as with all my architectural motifs I have photographed a part or the complete facade of a modern building and then I edited it digitally several times.

Cyan lighted windows world: here I had an idea of a motif with buildings where the windows are in the foreground and these are in crystal-clear shades of blue. The complete work with the globe in the middle is supposed to represent a cool but clear world, which is nevertheless in constant motion.

Aqua lighted planets: I had the idea of a motif with planets with a maritime touch, that reminds me a bit of Mediterranean summer holidays with a sense of lightheartedness. Here the houses should be white and their windows illuminated in aqua colors, which should above all radiate freshness and happiness.

Urban landscape white: here I wanted to show a motif that counteracts the often dreary urban landscapes. Residential castles, but here in fresh white with blue illuminated windows, each slightly offset like the mountains and hills in a landscape. The whole creation is frank, clear and with a certain elegant touch.

C. L. - What do you want your art to convey to the people who see it? What is the meaning or creative motivation behind your work?

G. S. - In particular, that "normal" buildings can become something special and spectacular with a little imagination - just like with many things in life. Above all, I want to show how the simple, often depressing and monotonous architecture can be transformed through image processing on photos in an imaginative and exciting way. This is how you get from the functional to the pure fantasy motif, almost like a motif from another, often friendlier building world, from which you can be inspired in many ways.

C. L. - Do you have any upcoming exhibitions or prizes we should know about?

G. S. - an article in the July issue of this year, number 26, of the art magazine "Artist Talk Magazine", UK.

A digital group exhibition with the "Artio Gallery", Toronto, for two weeks, several times, from 01. August 2023.

Regular digital competitions with the "Teravarna Art Gallery", Los Angeles.

INTERVIEW with Małgorzata Czerniawska

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Małgorzata Czerniawska, who participated during the itinerant exhibition Flowing Identities in Matera at Lega Navale Matera from March 1 to 22, 2023 and at Spazio Opera Gallery, from April 12 to 26, 2023 with the works from the Clearances series: "Towards the dark IV", "Towards the dark V" and "Towards the light V".   

Carmela Loiacono - Can you tell us about the moment or period you decided to pursue a career as an artist?

Małgorzata Czerniawska - Actually, I have always been drawing and painting, but I think it was not until I studied at the Academy of Fine Arts that my professional artistic path began.

C. L. - Where are you come from and how does that affect your works?

M. C. - I grew up in the countryside, in close proximity to nature, and it was there that I began to observe visual phenomena arising from the logic of nature's functioning, and then subject them to my own interpretation in abstract compositions.

C. L. - What do your works exhibited aim to say during the itinerant exhibition Flowing Identities?

M. C. - The paintings in the series "Clearances" are a kind of inner landscape - a plastic expression of my emotional states and a personal record of intimate content.

C. L. - Please, describe your creative process.

M. C. - When, with the development of civilization and technology, the world, becoming less and less mysterious to us, triggers an acute sense of inner emptiness, at the same time it awakens a subconscious need to fill it by seeking and communing with the sacred. Painting, for me, is precisely this complement. A painting becomes an experience that transcends the visual layer, referring to my inner space, encompassing the mental and metaphysical sphere - it expresses spiritual content. 

C. L. - When do you know that an artwork is finished?

M. C. - My paintings are like living beings: in the course of their creation they change just as my thoughts change. They are also subject to changes due to the state of mind of the one who is currently viewing them. They are therefore not finite. 

C. L. - When do you think your most prolific time of day or week is?

M. C. - I paint - as much as possible - every day, but the best time is in the afternoon, until dark; then, after a few hours of work, the real magic comes to me.

C. L. - Do you have any upcoming events or exhibitions we should know about?

M. C. - Following Flowing Identities, the paintings appeared at the 7TH ROME INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR.

Another two paintings are taking part in an event titled "LUCE: TRASFORMAZIONE DELLA RINASCITA," at Santa Maria di Sala (VE)

And the painting "Toward the Light II from the series Clearances" has been submitted to the 7th Polish Art Biennale. 

Website: www.czerniawska.eu

Curriculum vitae

2019 - Monograph: "Małgorzata Czerniawska - selected paintings and realisations in architecture", Copyright © by Publishing House of the University of Zielona Góra

2021 - Doctorate in the field of art, in the artistic discipline: fine arts and conservation of works of art

2021 - Publication of the book: "Clearances - towards the light, towards the dark. Transformation of space and other methods of modelling perceptual processes in painting", Copyright © by Scientific Publishing PWN SA, Warsaw

2022 - Distinction of the Polish Academy of Sciences in the area of humanities and social sciences for a research publication entitled "Clearances - towards light, towards darkness. Transformation of space and other methods of modelling perceptual processes in painting" for its original way of combining humanistic considerations with art.

Major exhibitions:

DREI ART GALERIE Stuttgart 1989, 1993; INTERART Poznań 1990;

Municipal BWA GALLERY Zielona Góra 1993, 1994; Municipal GALLERY Beeskow 1994;

Municipal GALLERY Sulechów 1994; THE MUSEUM OF THE FIRST PIASTS at Lednica 1995;

GALLERY OF CONTEMPORARY ART PROFIL Poznań 1996; BETA GALLERY Warsaw 1997;

Municipal Gallery Mosina 1998; KUBUS GALLERY Hannover 1999;

ARSENAL Municipal GALLERY Poznań 2000;

Festival of Polish Painting, Działyński Palace 2003; "CONFIGURATION" - XX Festival of Polish Contemporary Painting, Szczecin 2004;

"Art Environment" - II BIENNALE OF ART, GALLERY OF CONTEMPORARY ART PROFIL Poznań 2005;

"Clearances - continued ", PBG Gallery Poznań 2005;

"Generations of Art" - exhibition on Gallery Track Poznań 2006;

"Clearances, dream catchers and other addictions" Municipal GALLERY DIALOG Kostrzyn 2006;

"Image of Environment" - III BIENNALE OF ART, Gallery of Contemporary Art PROFIL Poznań 2007;

XXII Festival of Polish Contemporary Painting Szczecin 2008;

CONCOURS INTERNATIONAL d'ART Monte-Carlo 2010;

"Identity" - IV BIENNALE OF ART, GALLERY OF CONTEMPORARY ART PROFIL Poznań 2010;

"Pictures Painted with Music", SWP GALLERY, Kraków 2010;

"Wave" - Interdisciplinary Exhibition Koszalin 2011;

"Traces of Existence" - V BIENNALE OF ART, GALLERY OF CONTEMPORARY ART PROFIL Poznań 2012;

VII International Biennial of Painting and Unique Textile Gdynia 2013 - GRAND PRIX;

"To See the Sound" - accompanying exhibition 15th International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition, GALLERY OF CONTEMPORARY ART PROFIL, Poznań 2016;

"EKO MATERIA" - International Exhibition of Painting and Unique Textile, NATIONAL MUSEUM, Gdańsk 2017;

VIII BIENNALE OF ART "85 - Continuation", GALLERY OF CONTEMPORARY ART PROFIL, Poznań 2018;

"Clearances - towards light, towards darkness", LARGE STAGE GALLERY OF THE POZNAŃ ARTISTIC UNIVERSITY, Poznań 2021;

"Jazz Thirteen", OLD BREWERY GALLERY - accompanying exhibition XIII POZNAŃ OLD JAZZ FESTIVAL, Poznań 2021;

"Clearances", REKTOR'S GALLERY of The Art Academy in Szczecin 01.02-07.04.2022

VENICE INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR 2022 – 15TH EDITION, Palazzo Albrizzi-Capello, Palazzo Bembo, Venice 09-30.09.2022

AUTUMN CONFRONTATIONS 2023 – 6TH Triennale of Polish Contemporary Painting, BWA Rzeszów

01.12.2022-29.01.2023

CONTEMPORARY VENICE 2022 – 11TH EDITION, Palazzo Albrizzi-Capello, Palazzo Bembo, Venice 21.10-10.11.2022

ROME INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR 2022 – 5TH EDITION, Medina Art Gallery, Rome 13-30.12.2022

LONDON CONTEMPORARY ART FAIR 2023 – 7TH EDITION, The Line Contemporary Art Space, London 03-19.02.2023

FLOWING IDENTITIES - RenovArt | 100 Artists for the Future, International Contemporary Art Exhibition, Lega Navale Italiana Sezione di Matera - Magna Grecia, Matera 01-22.03.2023

LONDON SUPERNATURAL 2023 – 1TH EDITION, International Contemporary Art Exhibition, The Line Contemporary Art Space, London 18.03-01.04.2023

LONDON SUPERNATURAL 2023 – 2ND EDITION, International Contemporary Art Exhibition,

The Line Contemporary Art Space, London 07-21.04.2023

7TH ROME INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR, Rzym 09-22.06.2023

"LUCE: TRASFORMAZIONE DELLA RINASCITA", International Contemporary Art Exhibition, Santa Maria di Sala (VE) 21.05-06.06.2023.

Artist Statement

"Life's majesty is the frame for my art, and I try to channel that inspiration into each piece. Typically, I leave my paintings untitled. From person to person, each piece means something different. The individualized meaning, and personal interpretation of art is important to me. I want viewers to be able to interpret my art without context beyond themselves. Title the art yourself, your perception of the piece gives it meaning, and I thank you for it. Feel free to share your experience, I would love to hear from you."

INTERVIEW with Rebeccah Klodt

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Rebeccah Klodt, who participated during the itinerant exhibition Flowing Identities in Matera at Lega Navale Matera from March 1 to 22, 2023 and at Spazio Opera Gallery, from April 12 to 26, 2023; and also during the exhibition Panta Rhei with the three works: "UNTITLED".   

Carmela Loiacono - Could you, please, introduce yourself and tell us how you started in the arts?

Rebeccah Klodt - I've worked in the arts for 30 years as an interior designer, and have been painting for nearly 40 years. I got into art because of my natural interest in it.

C. L. - What influences your work? What inspires you? Why do you make art?

R. K. - Nature and the fluctuations of life influence my work. Everyday has its own inspiration, and I take it to the canvas. Why do I make art? Why do I breathe?

C. L. - You presented 3 works untitled, as always did because you desire that each visitor could explore and find the meanings in your painting. In one painting with mostly yellow color, there are some numbers, could you please tell us why do you put some number on that work, please?

R. K. - I love numbers, music, and nature. The intent of the painting was to express those emotions. I often lose myself during the painting process and when I pause, the painting is revealed to me. This particular painting, one of my favorites, was like a tidal wave that swept me away.

C. L. - We're curious what's its narrative or story?

R. K. - There is no narrative or story to the painting beyond what the viewer creates in their mind. It is the viewer that creates the story to my work.

C. L. - Who are your biggest artistic influences?

R. K. - My artistic influences change all the time. Lately I’ve been exhibiting with Tanja Playner, her paintings, and relentless work ethic inspire me. She’s a very talented painter with a brilliant mind.

C. L. - How has your style changed over time?

R. K. - My style changes from moment to moment. It’s hard for me to maintain a style.

C. L. - When do you know that an artwork is finished?

R. K. - There's a point when something tells me it’s done. Often times I see more possibilities in the painting and continue beyond that point. When I start arguing with myself, I know the work is complete.

C. L. - Are there any exhibitions or places where people can see these beautiful creations in person soon?

R. K. - I am represented by PAKS Galleries in Europe, Rossocinabro in Rome, and Art Girls in the USA. I frequently exhibit with Limner Gallery NY, and Las Lagunas gallery CA.

Janni Nyby paint colorful nature and landscape abstractions. She combines a sea of different techniques and typically start a painting based on preliminary thoughts, which during the creation process can transform in completely different directions before she put the signature on the finished painting. Her approach is best described as abstract expressionist and she love using all colors in the palette.

She is deeply intrigued by the individual's interpretations and perspectives on what the viewer sees and she is delighted every time one of her paintings becomes "a bridge to the other human being". Therefore, she deliberately fails to give her paintings titles, to give the viewer unlimited freedom in terms of sensing, experiencing and telling.

In the painting process itself, she loves, when colors, shapes, composition and expression come together in a whole where there is both calm and energy. As she paints with many layers and often change both elements and the overall painting many times in the process, she paints with acrylic paints that dry quickly on her canvases. 

CV for Janni Nyby is available at her homepage www.gallerijanninyby.dk

INTERVIEW with Janni Nyby

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Janni Nyby, who participated during the itinerant exhibition Flowing Identities in Matera at Lega Navale Matera from March 1 to 22, 2023 and at Spazio Opera Gallery, from April 12 to 26, 2023; and also during the exhibition Panta Rhei with the two works: "UNTITLED".   

Carmela Loiacono - Can you tell us about the moment you decided to pursue a career as an artist?

Janny Nyby - At some point back in the late 90's, a dimension / source opened up in me by a coincidence which I had not seen coming as I am academically educated and did not spend much time in the creative universe. But after germinating for a few years, this dimension slowly but powerfully and persistently came to fill more and more in me, and today I am completely "dependent" on the painting in the right way.

C. L. - What's your background?

J. N. - I'm Cand. Phil. In History, from Aalborg University (AAU) in Denmark and have an Academy Profession (AP) Degree in Leadership from Aalborg Business Academy in Denmark and a Diploma of Leadership from University College Northern Jutland (UCN) in Denmark. In addition, I have countless art courses.

C. L. - Who are your biggest artistic influences?

J. N. - I can't name one or more specific artists I am inspired by, but in general I am inspired by the expressionists, colorists and the great landscape painters. One of Denmark's best-known art editors and art critic Tom Joergensen, writes in his review of my paintings in the art book "101 artists 2022/23", that my paintings show inspiration from early modernism, with Sigurd Swane and Harald Giersing as some of the greatest in Denmark. And yes, like these artists, I break the one-to-one representation of nature and the specific place and create a free and abstract interpretation.

C. L. - You deliberately fail to give your paintings titles, because you are very intrigued by the individual's interpretations. Could you please, talk about the 2 works you presented during the exhibitions Flowing Identities and Panta Rhei?

J. N. - Painting 60 x 60 cm: In the beautiful Champagne region of France, you can enjoy beautiful landscapes with green colors in an infinite number of shades. In these landscapes, the houses lie beautifully and invite and inspire to be reproduced on a canvas, and the sky seems endless. It is from this area that I started to find inspiration for this painting. But it is not a one-to-one reproduction, and therefore you as a viewer will also be able to experience that your associations go to other areas, and it is this "expansion" that I love, and is also driven by during the course of the painting process. Therefore, the viewer will be able to find both recognizable and unrecognizable elements from Champagne in the painting.

Painting 80 x 80 cm: In the beautiful Champagne district in France, you can enjoy beautiful landscapes with green colors in an infinite number of shades. In these landscapes, the houses lie beautifully and invite and inspire to be reproduced on a canvas, and the sky seems endless. Starting from the view from the small cozy town of Chattillon-sur-Marne by the square, where the large statue of Pope Urban II enthrones, I have found inspiration for this painting. If you visit this place yourself, you will hardly be able to stand in a certain place and believe that this is exactly where she got her inspiration from, but when you look at the whole area, you will undoubtedly find a number of the different elements she has included in the painting. Since it is not a one-to-one reproduction, you as a viewer will also be able to experience that your associations go to other areas, and it is this "extension" that I love.

This painting has just been sold to an artist collector in Copenhagen.

C. L. - How do you define success as an artist?

It depends a lot on how to understand and define success?

J. N. - Is it about making money - a good economy - art as a way of life?

Is it about having a meaningful and exciting working life? Or..?

I think success as an artist can be experienced both from an internal and external perspective, which may well be different.

For me, the most important success is to be able to live out my passion, and to experience that something succeeds in the meeting with other people around my art - this fills me with great joy and gratitude.

C. L. - Describe how art is important to society.

J. N. - Art awakens our senses, challenges our understandings and views of life and strengthens our education in a holistic perspective, so that we can increase empathy and good curiosity in relation to other people.

In the encounter with art, we have a breathing space and room for reflection, where we can go on a discovery that can contribute to creating a greater and better understanding of each other, thus minimizing conflicts and discord.

Through my paintings, I meet an incredible number of wonderful people who would like to have a conversation about something that interests them as viewers. In this way, my paintings become a "bridge to another person", and I hope and have a dream that we as people will move up even more to reach out to each other and create even greater cohesion. And in a time when much can seem dark and difficult, it becomes extra important to fill mind and body with good experiences, so that we have energy to deal with the problems. Many of my buyers say how happy they are to look at my paintings, so if my colorful nature and landscape abstractions can help fill the account with positive vibrations, I am beyond grateful.

C. L. - During your artistic carrier you participate in many exhibitions and receive a lot of prizes, do you have any upcoming news should know about?

J. N. - What occupies me the most right now is my upcoming 3rd solo art exhibition at art gallery Jarsbo Contemporary Art in the center of Aalborg (Denmark's 3rd largest city), where I am currently painting a number of new works.

For my last solo exhibition at the gallery, my paintings were quickly sold, and I strive for the viewers to meet and experience some works that they find exciting to explore.

In addition, I am working on a contract in relation to an exhibition in the USA and several in Switzerland. 

As for the subject of her paintings, she has always painted figurative and more precisely portraits. She also paints animals and sometimes landscapes but portraits are her favorite subject.

In 2022, her paintings were exhibited in various places including Rome, in the Galeria d'arte Il Leone for the exhibition Chasing the unexpected, Venice for the exhibition Anima Mundi and London for a contemporary exhibition. She is also in the art book "Artists of today and tomorrow III"

For 2023, she will be in various cities though different countries, France in the Carousel du Louvre, Florence, Liège and more. She also received the international prize Donatello and is in the first edition of "Contemporary Celebrity Masters".

INTERVIEW with Celine Kobierzynski

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Celine Kobierzynski, who participated during the itinerant exhibition Flowing Identities in Matera at Lega Navale Matera from March 1 to 22, 2023 and at Spazio Opera Gallery, from April 12 to 26, 2023 with the work: "Hera".  

Carmela Loiacono - Could you, please, talk about the moment you decided to pursue a career as an artist? I know that you are always passionate about art, but there has been some barriers, setbacks and unforeseen during your life. What was the spring that clicked in you?

Celine Kobierzynski - I decided to make it my career in 2021, I had finished high school for two years and after trying different studies that I didn’t like, I needed a plan B. I missed art, I was in an art school in high school, and I decided to go back to it so I bought an iPad and the pencil with my savings and I started creating again. This time there was no teacher to shoot me so I was really having fun. Inspired by the artists present on instagram I started selling prints of my digital paintings and I also experimented with oil painting. Then all became more serious in early 2022 when I received my first application for an exhibition in Roma and Venice.

C. L. - You are a self-taught artist and you have a passion for oil painting and mostly figurative painting as portrait. Could tell us about your work "Hera" presented during the itinerant exhibition Flowing Identities.

C. K. - Hera was created in late 2022, it is part of a series of 4 (Armor, Hera, Artemis, Apollo). My previous paintings were pretty classic and I wanted to do something else. I came back from Rome with a ton of pictures of statues and I really wanted to integrate them in future paintings. I first had the idea for Armor, which I really enjoyed painting so I painted Hera which is probably my favorite of the series with Armor.

C. L. - Where do you find inspiration? What motivates you to create?

C. K. - Many things inspire me, books, films, series, music, video games, but also many artists from the past such as Monet, Waterhouse, Bouguereau, Mucha, etc.

C. L. - What do you want your art to convey to the people who see it? What is the meaning or creative motivation behind your work?

C. K. - Honestly, I just paint what inspires me, what I want to paint, I mostly try to improve my technique and develop my own style, but when I choose a subject I try to make it as natural as possible in the facial expression, authenticity, and an interesting color palette.

C. L. - When do you know that an artwork is finished?

C. K. - Personally I paint in a kind of alla prima technique so I « imposes on me» a certain time limit, I do not touch or really little a painting after having finished painting it. I work zone after zone, for example face, body, hair, background, and I have only a few days before the paint is dry so I work in this time frame, I do my best then I stop. I don't want to work and constantly rework a painting, I think that it's taking the risk of doing worse than better. It does not matter if a painting is not perfect, if I still see mistakes, I will do better next time, I consider each paintings as a step forward and I prefer to focus on moving forward so as not to stay stuck forever on the same painting.

C. L. - How has your practice change over time?

C. K. - At first I started in digital painting on the iPad but I always liked painting, I just never found the medium that suited me, and thanks to instagram I rediscovered oil painting and today I do almost only oil painting, there is still a lot of subject and other medium that I would like to explore but I don’t have much time for the moment.

C. L. - Where do you see your art going in two years?

C. K. - I have to admit I’m not very good at projecting myself into the future so I honestly have no idea, but I have some goals, which may take more than two years to achieve, such as moving abroad, painting landscapes, make sculpture in short have succeeded enough in my career to have the freedom to carry out all my projects.

TECHNIQUES USED: Acrylic tempera on canvas, canvas cardboard, on wood, chalk pastel on paper, watercolor, oil on canvas and paper.

INTRODUCTION: In her works Cinzia proposes a completely new vision of nature, considered as a beginning and an end. Nature is the manifestation of that finite that is in the infinite to which it passionately tends, a unique but dynamic, constructive and constantly evolving force. Nature is also woman, divine mother, representative of true and authentic values, mirror of the soul.

Each brushstroke creates a combination of soft, sinuous and delicate shapes and colors that give life to mysterious and fascinating atmospheres, full of profound stories to be experienced. Each work is a creation of nature that manifests itself through the artist's spiritualism, a union between spirit and matter, between finite and infinite. Cinzia speaks through her works, transporting the viewer to new horizons, almost rarefied and unexplored, which investigate the most hidden self. His intense and vibrant brushstrokes arouse deep sensations and emotions that lead to an inner knowledge, analyzing the most hidden part of the individual conscience.

Vittorialessia specializes in subjects such as still lifes, portraits and free planets in space. The portraits are also made on commission. In her artistic reflection the desire for both interior and exterior harmony is denoted through a three-dimensional effect given by the careful use of shapes and colors, a combination of classic and modern that reflects a balance now in sharp contrast with the daily chaos. The environments chosen combine both the physical world of things and the metaphysical world of ideas and meanings; particular attention also to the perspective and to the objects that often remain suspended to underline the precarious state of life.

In her works fears, anxieties, reflections, unanswered questions, energy, hopes, love and passion come to life.

During the Gravina Fair 2019 she exhibited her paintings and some works of great-grandfather Franco Colella and grandfather Franco Solito. On the occasion she had the opportunity to meet with collectors and art lovers of various genres, she learned to manage her own personal stand and to support the relationship with the questions of the public. The exhibition lasted in all the last four days of November.

INTRODUCTION: Through the representation of portraits, still lifes, planets and abstract figures .. I investigate reality and the dynamic flow of art. I am looking for harmony and beauty in the chaos of events.

In fact, my works are a synthesis between classic and modern; a continuous alternation of opposing complementary forces... Beautiful and ugly, good and evil, day and night, physical and metaphysical. I use plays of color, lights, shadows and shapes to create a strong visual impact that pushes observers to delve into the history of paintings… Where each one is an important piece for understanding the deep meanings of things and phenomena.

INTERVIEW with Vittorialessia Brunetti

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Vittorialessia Brunetti, who participated  during the events RenovArt | 100 Artisti per il Futuro, from May 20, 2022 to January 03, 2023 in Matera, at Spazio Opera Gallery and Lega Navale Italiana with the works: dal 20 maggio 2022 al 03 gennaio 2023 in Matera, presso la Galleria Spazio Opera e la Lega Navale Italiana con le opere: "Frutta", dittico "Luci e Ombre", "Bambina con hijab", "Donna con fiocco" and "Donna con drappeggio".

Carmela Loiacono - How would you describe yourself and your works of art?

Vittorialessia Brunetti - I describe myself as a sunny person, spontaneous in expressing her emotions and thoughts, very sensitive and empathetic but at the same time complex due to my artistic inclination that I inherited in my family. I am a daughter of art ... my great-grandfather Franco Colella is a famous artist from Puglia and my maternal grandparents are two very good painters. I have a multifaceted and histrionic personality like the works I propose, I am both a traditionalist and a modern person. My art draws its roots in the past from which I take inspiration to be able to re-propose it in a contemporary key. I deal with digital painting and I use an iPad program called Procreate. My digital paintings combine typical characteristics of classical painting such as the harmony of shapes and technical skill with effects of digital painting such as particular color shades, lights and perspective cuts ... almost photographic. My favorite subjects are generally portraits, still lifes, planets, floating and surrealist figures, sometimes even abstract ones. I investigate reality in all its facets. I am always looking for new motovations and dialogue with other artists. I am a careful observer and scholar of natural phenomena and the human psyche. When I make a portrait, in fact, I penetrate the subject depicted, above all I represent and enhance female figures… each with its own experience.

In my works only apparent harmony reigns, in which dualistic-contrasting aspects merge such as: good and evil, physical and metaphysical, lights and shadows, order and chaos, real and surreal, stasis and movements, classic and modern and so on...

C. L. - Where do you get your inspiration from? What are your major artistic influences?

V. B. - My artistic influences are varied… from the great masters of the past such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Van Gogh to the most recent currents such as metaphysics, surrealism and digital painting. I am also interested in body art and performance: the art of body language.

Regarding music, for example, I prefer the pop genre, in particular I really admire the performer-singer Michael Jackson. In fact, I also like to dance and sing.

C. L. - When do you think is the most prolific time of day or week for you?

V. B. - I usually prefer the evening to develop my ideas, reflections and artistic projects .. sometimes I also work at night as I feel more inspired and motivated. The evening gives me greater concentration and intimacy than the morning or afternoon when I prefer to dedicate myself to other daily activities.

C. L. - How do you develop your artistic skills?

V. B. - I develop my artistic skills by observing and analyzing everything around me. It is through doubt and the spirit of discovery that knowledge in every area of ​​life is developed. Art, like life, is an ever-evolving phenomenon ... there is nothing certain or predetermined, it is EXPERIMENTATION. Nothing is always the same as itself.

As Giorgio de Chirico himself said… every painting that is created immediately leaves room for a new work.

C. L. - Does art help you in other areas of your life?

V. B. - Art is a double-edged sword ... you know, artists are quite a bit misunderstood.

C. L. - Describe your ideal work environment. What is the purpose or goal of your work and how do you imagine yourself in 10 years?

V. B. - Currently I am comfortable working at home in my room but my dream has always been to open a studio or a personal gallery where I can exhibit my works and welcome the experiences of other artists as well. A work environment open to intercultural exchange as a source of enrichment to make room for new opportunities. This is how I imagine myself in 10 years. I do not deny, however, that due to the difficulty I am having in selling my works even if they are successful, since it is known that the trade in paintings is impervious and often one encounters disappointments, there are times when I feel down in the dumps. Especially in the latter period in which the crisis has increased for the reasons we know ...

Despite the difficulties and sacrifices, I am convinced of the path I have taken and I do not intend to give up. I will pursue my goal with determination. I really hope I can see how I want the fruits of my work.

TECHNIQUES USED: Digital painting; acrylic on canvas.

"In my artistic work the most important thing is to create an emotional experience. Experiences that can inspire people to new ideas and create curiosity. I am fascinated by what I see around me, the environment, my dreams and also of course what I see on art exhibitions and in museums. But the historical perspective the mysterious myths in the imagination that the humans has created is also significant. Both historically and in our time."

INTERVIEW with Hans Johansson

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Hans Johansson, who participated during many events of RenovArt | 100 Artists for the Future, including Panta Rhei, Flowing Identities exhibitions at Lega Navale Matera and at Spazio Opera Gallery with his work: "The Planet". 

Carmela Loiacono - Could you please introduce yourself and tell us how you started in the arts? and your first experience in art making?

Hans Johansson - I am borned in the north of Sweden. I Have been studying at art schools for 9 years, the last one was 5 years at the Royal college of fine arts in Stockholm Sweden 1978 - 1983. 

C. L. - Who are your biggest artistic influences?

H. J. - I'll come into the arts as a child. My father bought me a box of oilcolours when I was 11 years old.  Which was the first introduction in the colours of art but therefore I had been drawing a lot.

My greatest influences in art have been many artists but the most influential when I was young was Leonardo da Vinci's drawings and later David Hockney's drawings and paintings . I also have been influenced by Cobra group and Sandro Chia in my later days. But there are several other artist that has made a impression on me.

C. L. - Could you talk about your work exhibited during the exhibition, please?

H. J. - The work that I have shown by your exhibition is that I am fascinated in space but also what is under the Surface of the sea.

C. L. - How long does it take to produce one work?

H. J. - It takes the time between 1 hour and up to two weeks to produce a work.

C. L. - What is the meaning or creative inspiration for your work?

H. J. - The books are very inspiring for me to see other artists work.

C. L. - Describe how art is important to society.

H. J. - Art is very important in many cases I am connecting artists from other countries.

C. L. - Does art help you in other areas of your life?

H. J. - If art is helping me in other areas I have not been thinking of.

INTERVIEW with Kristin Vollrath

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Kristin Vollrath, who participated during the event RenovArt | 100 Artists for the Future, from May 20 to June 30, 2022 in Matera at Spazio Opera with her paintings: "Light Effects" and "Summer".

Carmela Loiacono - We know that you enjoy painting since you early childhood... How would you describe yourself and your artworks?

Kristin Vollrath - That’s true. Painting has been a part of my life since I was little. I work based on ideas on how a motive could look like when painted and then I try to realize it. My art is the result.     

C. L. - Your works are mainly landscapes based on your own photography. What emotions do you hope the viewers experience when looking at your art? 

K. V. - I hope that the viewers can enjoy my art, that I can give something to them what they like.      

C. L. - What does your work aim to say?

K. V. - The works are mostly peaceful images of nature, but each with its own characteristics.     

C. L. - How long does it take to produce one work?

K. V. - Oil paintings take on average two months.

C. L. - According with your own experience does art help you in other areas of your life?

K. V. - It enriches my life by doing something creative and gives me happiness which I think has also a positive impact on other parts of my life.

C. L. - What are your favorite and least favorite parts of professional art?

K. V. - My favorite parts are to develop ideas and later to realize them.    

Least favorite: I can’t think of anything.

C. L. - If you think about the future, where do you see your art going in a couple of years?

K. V. - I have no specific pathway in mind. Of course I want to further develop my work and share it with people.   

C. L. - We met in person in Matera, what has been your experience with us and our organization?

K. V. - Very good organization and friendly staff. I really liked the collaboration with you. Thanks very much.

Janusz Tworek creates in many techniques: collage, drawing, dry pastel and paints in oil technique. He also dealt with stained glass, ceramics and photography. Janusz Tworek cooperates with many galleries. For Janusz Tworek, art is the basic way of expressing his attitude to reality. The paintings and drawings he creates flow from the instinctive zone, operating beyond intellectual considerations. He believes that this makes them the most authentic representation of reality. Janusz Tworek also writes poems resulting from intellectual contestation. He combined both these means of expression on several occasions. It seems to him that this creates the fullest message.

His painting is spontaneous, resulting from the emotions he experiences. That is why his works are so different from each other. Most often, the ideas that are the intellectual basis of what he wants to paint change under the influence of the emotions of the moments. Hence his motto "emotions are everything - everything is emotion".

Despite the age of 65, she studies all the time. He doesn't wonder if he has a "style" of painting. He tries to paint as best she can. And this is changing thanks to new experiences. Certainly his "style" is not realism.

Each work is an expression of his lived experiences, which creates an emotional bond with each of them. When he finishes the painting, he feels a kind of relief and thinks about what will happen next.

He believes that it is important to return to the roots of the role of art in human life. That is why it is so important to make the artists themselves aware of the important social role they play. They create things that have always been the markers of the level of maturity of the community. The need for communing with art has been an inherent need of mankind since the dawn of time. Unfortunately, today it is not so obvious.

INTERVIEW with Janusz Tworek

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Janusz Tworek, who participated during the third event of RenovArt | 100 Artists for the Future, from November 03 to 30, 2022 in Matera at Lega Navale Matera with the works: "Judgmental 2017", "Hidden 2021" and "Intrusion 2022". 

Carmela Loiacono - You have been an architect for almost 40 years and you dedicated your life also to art, as a self-taught painter. Could you please introduce yourself and tell us how you started in the arts? How would you describe yourself?

Janusz Tworek - I have always been drawing. Fate led me to Architecture. I had my first drawing exhibition two years after my studies. Then there was work. In the meantime I was drawing with charcoal, pencil and dry pastel. I have been painting for eight years. This is what he needs right now in order to continue developing.

C. L. - Where are you come from and how does that affect your work?

J. T. - I come from a very beautiful and old city of Krakow. The city was inscribed on the UNESCO list in the 1970s. When you live surrounded by beauty and a unique atmosphere, you acquire a proportionate sensitivity.

C. L. - I know that you lives in Krakow, Poland and Tenerife, how you combine your journeys with your work?

J. T. - Without much of a problem. I have studios in Krakow and Tenerife.

C. L. - Who are your biggest artistic influences?

J. T. - Picasso, Bacon and Polish artists such as Starowiejski, Hasior, Duda-Gracz, Witkacy.

C. L. - Living in Tenerife, you met an self-taught artist, Javier Huerta, how he inspire your art and artworks? Do you work together for some future projects?

J. T. - Recently, I am much more in Poland than in Tenerife and Javier Huerta is more often in Madrid. So our relationship has loosened up a bit.

C. L. - How do you go about beginning a new piece? Do you have an idea already in mind?

J. T. - Mostly yes. But sometimes I just do what comes out of me.

C. L. - When is your favorite time of day to create?

J. T. - It doesn't really matter to me. I don't create outdoors.

C. L. - You collaborate with several art galleries, what has been the most exciting moment in your art career so far?

J. T. - The most exciting was the exhibition at the PAKS Gallery in Vienna. It was held at Villa Am Kaiserweg. It was a group exhibition, but accompanied by works by artists such as Picasso, Dali, Klimt, Rodin, Chagal.

C. L. - What have critics and collectors said about your work?

J. T. - Positively. First of all, it tells a story and makes you think. And it's often surprising.

After 8 years of being out of the picture due to very severe circumstances in her personal life and leaving everything behind, also her past as a portrait painter, she started to reinvent herself and reminded herself of what she loved to do as a child... drawing on paper with pen, pencil or chalk... and she started doing that again... 'back to basics' and from there on... which was also reflected in her daily life because there were no more obligations and distractions. She had nothing else to do and nothing to lose. That ushered in a new period for her that began in late 2018, early 2019, in which the creation process is paramount for her (rather than the end result which is important in portraiture)... a process in which she's guided by her intuition, by the different materials, by the feeling of freedom, playfulness and experimentation... and where the end result is the by-product. It is a process of letting go of the old (and her old way of working)... continuing to follow what she enjoys most, ignoring the critical voice in her head as much as possible... and trying to be open again to the child in her that is unbiased, pure and spontaneous. After having exhibited her work regularly in the past until 2012 and always having a website... in 2020 she again started to bring out her new work on several sites and social media in order to create a new movement with her art.

INTERVIEW with Patriez Art

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Patriez Art, who participated during the third and the fouth events of RenovArt | 100 Artists for the Future, from November 03 to 30, 2022 at Lega Navale Matera and from December 05, 2022 to January 03, 2023 at Spazio Opera Gallery with the work: "Free your inner Child!". 

Carmela Loiacono - Could you please introduce yourself and tell us how you started in art making?

Patriez Art - As a child at a very young age, I was always creating things out of nothing... and drawing in particular was a specialty. I drew mostly fantasy figures and my interest soon turned to drawing people and faces. I was soon asked to draw portraits of people in my environment. Later I expanded this as a self-taught artist and painted many many commissioned portraits for people and I also drew caricatures for people... bringing the face to life in my own expressionistic way... a portrait with a soul. At some point I started painting intuitive abstract to experience more freedom in my process... because just painting portraits no longer gave me enough of a challenge. In that new way too I had to reinvent myself and in that process I consciously brought myself back to the child in me that wants to explore and play... back to basics. Thus arose my artworks of the last 5 years in which I work in mixed media. I started playing again with all kinds of materials which gives me the feeling of freedom, spontaneity... and joy.

C. L. - Did you have an idea of what you wanted to create right from the beginning?

P. A. - As I mentioned in the previous question, drawing faces was my greatest passion. From an early age I was very fascinated by the variety and expression of all those different faces of people, all of which tell something very intimate about the inner person behind the face. At the same time, the face is also a facade of exactly what that person does not want to show. It remains fascinating!

C. L. - Your main motivation right now is the process of letting go of the old, and letting the child in you, playing with all kinds of materials, to wonder and experiment again. Please, could you describe your creative process?

P. A. - My creative process now and of the past 5 years is (indeed) the continuous letting go of the old, my old self and my old way of working... to purely intuitively rediscover, experiment and especially play!, with different materials mixed through and over each other, scraping away layers to see what emerges (like an archaeologist digging up his own treasures;-) Then applying new layers again and scraping away parts until I see something appear that speaks to me in one way or another... in terms of feeling, color, composition and light-dark ratio, and in which I see the freedom and playfulness of the process reflected so that when I look at it I can feel joy. This proces gives a lived result with a lot of history.. but at the same time retains its freshness and playfulness. And as I write this, this says a lot about me, my turbulent past.. my maturity considering my age of 55.. and being reborn in freedom, joy and playfulness;-)

I never have a preconceived plan but let the process take its course as much as possible. The materials I use on paper, canvas or wood are acrylic paint, oil pastels, soft pastels, colored pencils, chalk, pen, (self made) collage materials and sometimes plaster. It's not always this time-consuming process... sometimes something refreshing arises spontaneously, which usually happens on paper... and the challenge then is to stop at the right time. As a change, I also like to make assemblies (in mixed media) with wood and other waste materials.

C. L. - What do you want your art to convey to the people who see it? What is the meaning or creative motivation behind your work?

P. A. - What would be the biggest compliment I receive from people who see my work is that they also receive what I described in the previous question... experiencing the feeling/the reflection of freedom, joy, wonder and playfulness.

My motivation is to free myself.. which is also the meaning of my work.

So the best thing that could happen is that with my work I can release a kind of desire in the viewer, with the message that whatever has happened in personal life.. there is always a way to free yourself, let go of the old and choose again for playfulness, freshness, spontaneity, wonder and universal love!

C. L. - Besides your artworks, are there any other things in life that your voice as an artist may consider vital or valuable? What makes you joyful and creative, in other words?

P. A. - My other passion is cycling! I make many kilometers on my sporty e-bike that makes me very joyful.. where I experience the ultimate feeling of freedom in and with which I also get refreshing inspiration. I usually make long trips of about 100 kilometers or more, preferably through beautiful nature that I enjoy the most. In addition, I love to have in-depth conversations with loved ones about the meaning of life and to find your own way in it. Also conversations about the bizarre world events, being aware of them but not letting them define you but choosing your own freedom, your own path... while maintaining humor:-) And being creative together with others is also part of it.

C. L. - What exciting projects are you working on right now? Can you share some of the future plans for your artwork?

P. A. - I have no clear future plans for my artwork, I let it run its own way because I have experienced that if I have an idea for an artwork, I immediately get stuck:-) What I do feel coming is that figuration will play more of a role together with the intuitive process. I'm starting to be open again to any portrait assignments that will probably have a completely different interpretation than in the past. No idea how this is going to play out and if this is going to happen, it's just a conjecture:) Next 6 and 7 May I will participate in the open studio days for the second time from this location in Belgium (previously I also participated every year when I still lived in Eindhoven / the Netherlands). For me this is the most interesting and practical way to show my artwork, to have a personal contact with visitors and have engaging conversations about the process of artmaking.. So I will continue to open my studio.

Zahra exhibits at the 19th World of Colour Pencils Competition at Derwent Colour Pencil Museum. She also exhibits with Society of Fulham Artists and Potters and Croydon Art Society, and annually at the Parallax International Art Fair, London. Recently Zahra had her work exhibited at Galerie L’Espace Ysmailoff, Paris, and Gunnersbury Park Museum and White Gallery, both in London where she sold several paintings. In addition Zahra has been featured in the Wandsworth Art Journal as an upcoming artist.

"I have always had a passion for drawing and painting using vibrant colours and a warm palette. My artistic practice reflects the warmth, colours and light of the Mediterranean people, culture and environment. These qualities along with the love for creating beauty and a magical, elegant world are what motivates and excites me when I paint. I like to paint people dressed in lovely clothes, walking, relaxing and enjoying life. I want to capture a moment when I too am part of the world, walking behind the people and being part of landscape or just taking a moment to look at something beautiful. This is very much part of the Latin culture I grew up in.""In my work I paint with pink, red, orange, yellow and gold but always use a complementary colour such as green, blue or purple to heighten the effect. I also use black because it gives elegance to the figures and other features of the paintings. My love for Vanitas paintings, stained glass windows and Disney cartoons are my constant inspiration and are now part of a signature style that is unique to me. I create volume through careful use of shades and tints, but also through blocks of colour. It can be highly detailed often resembling a mosaic.  I enjoy this way of painting.

When people see my paintings, I would like them to escape into a world of fantasy and indulge in the beautiful. For a moment I want them to leave behind all the harshness of reality and live a dream of what could be. My art is made to give beauty to the world."

INTERVIEW with Zahra Tharani

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Zahra Tharani, who participated during the third event of RenovArt | 100 Artists for the Future, from November 03 to 30, 2022 at Lega Navale Matera with the work: "Love in London, St Pauls". 

Carmela Loiacono - Can you tell us about the moment or period you decided to pursue a career as an artist?

Zahra Tharani - I decided to pursue a career as an artist 6 years ago. It was something I wanted to do since I was a child. Like many artistic people, I was dissuaded from following this path as it seemed unreliable and a struggle to earn a living. Whilst that may be true, I also believe that if you have a talent or a passion that makes you happy and fulfils your life then it is worth pursuing. I reached a point in my life where I was living a life that was conventional or rather dictated by societal expectations which was unrewarding. It was at that point that I stood back and looked at my life. I realised that we are only here for a short while so it is important to live the life we want to live. Being an artist was the life that I wanted.

C. L. - What themes does your work involve?

Z. T. - My work looks at social issues or rather the analysis of human behaviour and also condition often to humorous effect. I explore issues such as gossip, mostly done by women, and it terrible consequences, loneliness in urban spaces, longing for human contact, the search for a home and a place of acceptance and security, and presence of God or the Holy Spirit in nature with all its tranquillity and beauty.

C. L. - Could you, please, describe the work "Love in London, St Pauls" you presented during the exhibition?

Z. T. - St Pauls is a beautiful cathedral and an icon of resilience, hope, peace and enduring love of God for its people. It witnessed and survived the bombings of the world wars, and when all was flattened, the citizens of London would keep their spirit of survival by seeing St Pauls still standing tall and strong. In many ways this cathedral has also been witness to the promises and vows made between men and women through time that their love and faithfulness would stand the test of time and strife. Even today couples, both old and new, stand at the Embankment to watch the sun set over St Pauls and hope for a happy life together and peaceful future. Those who are fortunate will choose to have their wedding in St Pauls. I wanted to create a romantic scene which is why I chose pinks and purples. The flowers in the front provide a frame to the painting and set the romantic feel. The image is divided into three, a foreground which are the flowers, a middle which are the lampposts and couple, and the background which is St Pauls standing bright. The use of light and the colour white for St Pauls was important for its connotation of purity.

C. L. - How long does it take to produce this work and also in general?

Z. T. - I usually work for a month on a piece, but often I might take longer depending on the amount of detail required and the size of the painting.

C. L. - Besides your artworks, are there any other things in life that your voice as an artist may consider vital or valuable? What makes you joyful and creative, in other words?

Z. T. - I find classical music makes me happy and allows me to tap into the recess of my mind and envision a different and better world, and feel emotions. I also find talking to people with no other reason than to connect with someone on a human level is very uplifting. I often believe that art can be a source of inspiration of another way to be and live in this world. Ghandi once said ‘be the world you want the world to be.’ I think art can show good values such as the importance of family, society, nature and humanity. It can foster compassion and beauty through images that are didactic and inspiring. 

C. L. - Do you have any upcoming events or exhibitions we should know about?

Z. T. - I shall be showing my art at BEAT art exhibition at Boston Manor House, London at the end of September 2023 so am currently preparing for that.

C. L. - You came to the opening, what was your experience during the exhibition?

Z. T. - Although I travel to Italy many times, it was my first exhibition and visit to Matera. I was charmed by this city from antiquity with its friendly and warm-hearted inhabitants, and location of the exhibition, an old grotto. I hope to return to Matera again, having made some friends, perhaps to exhibit in the gallery in the city centre. The organisation was wonderful as was the opening night with a famous bard to sing to guests and exhibiting artists.

In 2012, Sasha had her own brush with devastation when her father passed away, immediately followed by her mother being admitted to the psych ward and her family losing everything they had worked for from a frivolous law suit. She was trying to hold it all up on her own and she broke, being riddled with intense pain, a mysterious rash, and recurring fever. Refusing to end up on meds or in surgery, she decided to find her healing. She delved into a desperate quest for an answer, which led her on a spiritual journey to better understand herself and all things. 

It is with this deep awareness Sasha began her career as an artist. Sasha's company, Sawübona, meaning 'I See You' in Zulu, is the physical manifestation of Sasha's inner work as a human and as an artist; resulting in experiences that heal and unite. Her photo and video sessions, exhibitions and films have been eye-opening and healing for those who have experienced them and have helped raise over $100,000 for Los Angeles based nonprofit organizations.

INTERVIEW with Sasha Marie Speer

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Sasha Marie Speer, who participated during RenovArt Video Screening Festival, from June 15 to 30, 2022 in Matera at Spazio Opera with "Unborn". 

Carmela Loiacono - Could you please introduce yourself and tell us how you started your work? 

Sasha Marie Speer - My name is Sasha and I was raised in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains in Washington State in the United States. Being surrounded by so much nature and few people, my imagination is what kept me entertained much of the time. I have always loved to capture and create imagery and the essence of things. We had incredible advanced art and photography courses in my high school which helped nurture my gifts, but when it came time to choose a college I couldn’t understand how I could make a living with my art so I went into medicine. Eight years later with my Doctorate in hand, I let loose my creative abilities again and found myself years later in the film medium. 

C. L. - What’s your background? 

SM. S. - My background is as a fine artist and photographer as well as in medicine with a focus on the mind-body connection. All of these foundations help serve my current work. Before Covid, I was putting on live immersive experiences with photo, video and performance all centered around common threads of humanity with the aim of uniting people from different races, socioeconomic status, gender and so forth in a context that is inspiring and uplifting. When Covid hit, I did a couple of online immersive shows but it didn’t translate the way I intended, so I went back to film and the medium has been effective.

C. L. - What does your work aim to say? 

SM. S. - All of my work aims to unite people from different backgrounds through shared experience. For instance, my most recent film, Unborn, centers around motherhood and the loss than many feel in aiming to conceive – either through miscarriage, abortion, infertility, or other reasons – while also uniting the audience in the beauty and magic that is pregnancy.

C. L. - Where do you come from and how does that affect your work? 

SM. S. - I am from what was a small, one-stoplight town about 25 miles north of Seattle, WA, USA. I grew up on 20 acres and spent a lot of time outdoors. It helped me learn to listen. My parents encouraged and nourished the use of my imagination and I feel that this coupled with the close connection to nature helps me tap into the true essence of being of people and nature. I also began traveling and living all over the world as a teenager and I think this helped me see and identify with others who don’t look like me.

In my medical practice I traveled and worked with people all over the USA in their homes who were very sick and just returning from the hospital. They were from all different backgrounds and I found that the suffering so many experienced was universal, regardless of language or culture. This has greatly influenced my work in the last 4-5 years. 

C. L. - What emotions do you hope the viewers experience when looking at your work? 

SM. S. - Hope. Peace. A sense of feeling valid and necessary. Of feeling seen.

C. L. - When do you think is your best time of day or week to produce your work? 

SM. S. - I am best in the afternoons after swimming in the ocean or pool. My mind is clear and my senses are awake. It’s through my “moving meditations” in the water that most of my ideas are birthed. The other good time is just as I am drifting off to sleep. This is when I will often have an insight into something I have been trying to make work but have felt stuck. For this reason, I always keep a pad of paper and a pen in my nightstand.

C. L. - What have critics and collectors said about your video works? 

SM. S. - After years of people telling me I couldn’t do what I had envisioned, I chose to listen to my heart and do it anyway. Many of those same people are awestruck with my work – both the live shows and film. There is a human truth I bring forth that people feel. It’s the sum of decades of work on my own soul as well as working to heal the root of so much pain and suffering in others. In that though, many have not known where to place my work as it doesn’t fit the traditional structures, so I keep going and doing my own thing – and they show up again and again to experience what I have to share. My work is for the people.

C. L. - Your company, Sawübona, meaning 'I See You' in Zulu, is the physical manifestation of your inner work as a human and as an artist. How do you imagine your work in a couple of years? Where do you see your art going?

SM. S. - Sawübona is the essence of everything I do. My work aims to bring a collective voice to the human experience. To have people feel seen and heard in a context that is beautiful, uplifting and inspiring. In a couple of years I would like my shows and films to be available on a platform that would allow more people have awareness of and access to the experiences. 

My work breaking through to the mainstream consciousness will be like having organic food break through the world of over processed and over consumed food of little to no nutritional value. It brings nourishment to the human soul, and I would like to see that touch as many people as possible.

Experience

2016: Bent chair was finalist for the High Point Furniture Fair Bienensticok design award in the United States.

2017: Moon paper lamp was selected at core77.

2020: "Vase Na" won Wanted Design Launch Pad 2020, Wanted Design.

2021: Vase Na 2.0 was announced the Honoree of NYCxDESIGN Awards 2021.

Furthermore, the works were selected by Designboom, Interior Design, Designmilk, Design Miami and by Edit Napoli 2021.

Media cooperation

Design Miami, NYC X DESIGN WEEK, Design Milk, Designboom, 

Interior Design, MIX Magazine, UK

Wanted Design, Core77, Vogue

INTERVIEW with Bo Zhang

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Bo Zhang, who participated during the exhibition RenovArt | 100 Artists for the Future, from December 05, 2022 to January 03, 2023 at Spazio Opera Gallery with two design's vases: "Lightness 1.0 Violet" e "Lightness 1.0 Yellow". 

- Could you please introduce yourself and tell us how you started in the creative process?

I am Bo Zhang, artist and designer from China, I’m more willing to define myself as a creator. The objects that people disdain in daily life are surprised through my creation.

One period is at school, I received professional learning of product design and furniture design. The second period is that when I was working in New York art studios, I constantly contacts real artworks, receives art expression methods. Through these influences and learning accumulations, I gradually found my unique way to balance art and design. After my studio Desz office was established, I formed my design viewpoint and artistic expression to create art works. I believe that art is a special form of expression, the expression is beyond language to a certain extent, things that can pass to people surpass the work itself.

- What’s your background?

In general for the designer, the product is functional. When I studied in Italy, I found that good products can balance the functions and aesthetics. People buy products because of beauty and utility. Therefore, in Apennine peninsula, the birthplace of Renaissance in Italy, products often contain romantic genes, aesthetics is more than functional. The design was created by people who have cultural foundations. This can have a deep impact on my creation to aesthetics and functions. In 2015, I went to the United States, a country with a multicultural, everyone has different feelings and definitions of beauty. American artists have expanded aesthetics to a larger range, or even a larger market. Creation can emphasize personality and can be recognized by a variety of popular groups, this stimulates more inspiration and potential of artists. In 2018, I returned to China. my previous experience and learning did not have conflicts with Chinese art and design. Thanks to the influence during work in Milan and New York art studios, I combined Chinese culture and Asian culture gave birth to new ideas. I created unusual works which the objects that people ignored, ordinary and natural through my careful research .The works can interact and communicate with people，and it become no longer ordinary.

- What influences your work? What or who inspires you?

In my design philosophy, the objects close to people are beautiful, called daily beauty and natural beauty, but objects that are too daily are often ignored by people. So I tend to start from the daily objects and inject my inspiration when I design. Through my creation, I can give them emotion and aesthetics, give people new feelings, and let people realize that they can also enjoy things around them from an unexpected perspective. It is precisely because many of the prototypes of works are daily and natural objects, so they have a feeling of calmness and balance, but this can bring the viewers unprecedented surprise.

I grew up in the environment of Chinese culture，I learned Japanese when I was studying. Oriental philosophy is characterized by introversion, peace, nature and tenacity. In the oriental culture, we advocate nature, and the power of ordinary people will not be easily discovered. I hope to use my creativity to make people talk with natural objects, and make them magical and great. Later, when I studied and worked in Europe and the United States, I gradually formed a way of thinking to create surprises from the ordinary.

- Please, could you describe Vase Na projects and the works exhibited during RenovArt | 100 Artists for the Future?

“I created the Mind-Boggling Vase NA Out of Empty Space”, the media reported about Vase Na.

Vases are defined as containers with borders, but not these ones. I explore the relationship between people and space, Vase NA is a concept about lines, colors, and the idea of seemingly creating something out of nothing.

Vase NA is made of a metal grid frame structure. Within each grid, gradient colors indicate a “vessel” resting inside, but there is no actual object in existence. The vase, by design, challenges the viewer’s perception, prompting them to acknowledge a vase within an object, while also reconciling with the fact that the vase does not actually exist. It breaks the inherent space constraints of a defined object and plays with the boundary between virtual and real. Whether you define it as a real vase or not, this objet d’art can still be enjoyed in any space.

In my design, color is a very important part. It is not only a visual expression, but also makes my work different，it is my attitude towards art. Color is added to materials to make the works meaningful. For example, it is because of color that Vase Na can become a vase to discuss the topic of "being and not" with the audience. I like to explore natural and ordinary objects. Fresh colors can make these things more powerful and fresh. A wide range of vase shapes can be expressed by several colored lines. however since the hue changes according to the sequence the colored lines are layered in, and the color tones vary with vertical height, it took the designers a considerable amount of trials and errors in order to reach the desired result. The design takes advantage of the space, color, and line elements to create a floating vase in space. by changing perspectives, the designers tried to explore the relationship between people and space.

Another work Lightness is a collection of vases of different shapes. They are not only functional vases, but also decorations and artworks. Due to the participation of light, their smart shapes and gradual colors bring joy and relaxation to people, at the same time arouse romantic reverie to people.

Lightness vase has been concentrated on experimentation with simple forms in transparent materials and ongoing in-depth research between the material and its chromatic expression. I use color and light to shape the vase. ‘Shaping Color’ project can be seen as a visual investigation into the relationship between color（light）and shape（space).

 When you see the vase，you might not see the boundary , you see color and light. The visional forms combined with varying color render these objects highly reactive under different lighting conditions, giving this artificial material an almost natural feel. In fact，the shape is unimportant, it's all about the color & boundary and how they disappeared.

Lightness is designed as a combination of gear component and acrylic sheet. The design method gives vitality to the artwork. Users can change the acrylic sheet of different colors at any time to create their own new works. Compared with traditional home furnishings, the new combination design scheme extends the service life of the product. We continue to pursue long-term design. Avoid waste and discard. The gear component part is made of recyclable plastic and natural resin materials, reduce the burden on the earth.

- How long does it take to produce one work?

A good work should not be measured or limited by time. I have no time limit for making a work. Maybe this moment is delayed according to my continuous optimization and improvement of works, when they are perfect is the best moment.

- How do you go about beginning a new piece? Do you have an idea already in mind, or do you start working with materials or sketches to find the departure point?

I like to pay attention to the details of life and nature all the time. I write down many interesting ideas.  I will think about these ideas when I am preparing to create, and the preliminary design concept will be re-planned in my mind. then I find a suitable presentation method for this concept, such as materials, crafts, color matching and so on.

When I create, I will not set boundaries for myself, otherwise it is difficult to break through the boundaries. Of course, these inspirations require a little talent, thinking and a lot of hands-on practice. 

For example Vase Na, the traditional vases are shaped entities. Vase Na project breaks the boundary of the inherent shape, integrating lines and colors into the design by presenting a seemingly existing space without actual existence. In fact, from objects to people's thinking, there will be an inherent boundary that is difficult to break through. I hope to convey the boundary between "being and nothing" through works, depending on how people perceive and define it. The framework of Vase NA  is an entity, but I can use color to create the mind boggling Vase Na out of empty space. 

Therefore, the works in recent years have no clear sense of boundary, both visually and spiritually. People are dismissive of an ordinary framework, but when I use color to shape a space（vase), it stimulates people's imagination and emotional thinking. The work has life, and a spiritual dialogue between people and the work occurs. How is "boundary" defined? How to break? Does the vase exist? There are many restrictions and imprisonment in the world. I like the word "break" as much as I like "creation".

- Professionally, what’s your goal? Where do you see your work going in five years?

I don't have a clear position or title to describe my current work. I  hope that design, art and funny can be combined together. I look forward to giving life to my works, which is also my goal. My work is not just an object, but it can interact with people and connect with people.

On the other hand I wish I could use art and design to solve some issues in modern society, and do some social responsibilities for environmental friendly, and I enjoyed it very much.

In 2019 he exhibited in the chapel of the Cangas hospital, in the “Las Tapas de Jose” restaurant, in the Spazo art gallery in La Coruña, in the Marquis hotel in Granada and in the “Expo metro” in London. In 2020 he participated in two solo exhibitions, one in the Galician business circle in Vigo and another in the El Barco restaurant in Granada. His works have been featured in several group exhibitions at the Privilegio de Tena hotels in Huesca, Casa Palacio María Luisa in Cadiz and at the Oca Puerta del Camino hotel in Santiago de Compostela. In addition to participating in two exhibitions at the Mundoarti Museum, at the “Expo metro” in Paris, at the “ARTBOX.GALLERY” gallery in Zurich and at the “BREAKOUT” exhibition at M.A.D.S. in Milan. Since 2020 he has been represented by two art galleries: Arts & Crafts Paris in France and Albe Art Gallery in the United Arab Emirates. From the beginning of 2021 he became a member of the Plogix Gallery & Online Art Group and has a signed contract with the Muzillionart gallery in China which will represent him for three years in the Asian market. His works were exhibited in the "Contemporary Collective" exhibition of the Abartium gallery and studio in April and were also published in the first edition of Boomer Magazine entitled "The new artist" of the Boomer art gallery Gallery in the United Kingdom, in the magazine of the British gallery "Art Hole" and in the autumn issue of the Georgian gallery magazine "Collect Art".  At the end of 2021 his works were exhibited during the "Fragmented" event at the London gallery "The Holy Art" where he was awarded the 2nd prize. They have also been published in the 10 / DECEMBER 2021 edition of the ARTMAGAZINEIUM magazine, in the 11th edition of the 365 ART + magazine and in the Collect Art magazine of the Art Hole gallery in the United Kingdom. In this year 2022 I exhibited again in "The Holy Art" in the "Semiotics & Beyond" exhibition, I will have my first exhibition in Mexico in May. His work "Victoria 13, Más y Rico" is exhibited at the Piaggio Vespa museum in Pontedera, Italy.  In addition, his latest work "Pontedera" was exhibited at the 30th Automobile and Motorcycle Show in Vigo, Galicia.

INTERVIEW with Ferró

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Ferró, who participated during the events RenovArt | 100 Artists for the Future, from May 20, 2022 to July 30, 2022 in Matera, at Spazio Opere with the works: "Avenencia" and "Zape". 

Carmela Loiacono - Tell us about yourself and your works. How would you describe yourself and the work you do?

Ferró - I am a shy and introverted person, very positive, cheerful and vital. In my work you can see these personality traits as well to my rebellion.

C. L. - Where do you get your inspiration from?

F. - My introversion, my rich inner world, people very close to me and nature are what inspires me to create.

C. L. - How long does it take to produce a work of art?

F. - It usually takes me 3 weeks to create a painting and around 3 months to do my work on a wasp that works 12 hours a day.

C. L. - What emotions do you hope viewers feel when they see your artwork?

F. - I hope you want to rethink your situation in the world. I want people to have a critical view of themselves first and do not accept everything as good.

C. L. - Your Victoria13 work is exhibited at the Piaggio Museum in Pontedera. Tell us about this work.

F. - Every artist has to be innovative and although there are more works on wasp and very good, no one has taken the entire surface of a wasp as if it were a canvas and created on it. Victoria is a very special work that has two meanings. On the one hand I wanted to pay tribute to the victims of violence against women in particular and to the victims in general, for the story of its previous owner and also to dismiss the superstitions of bad luck as many think of the number 13 which is in your record.

C. L. - What exciting projects are you working on right now? Can you share some of the future projects for your works?

F. - My next work on Vepsa Santina 969 will be presented in a few days at the "Autobello" event in La Toja and will participate in the "Estampa" art fair in Madrid. Soon I will be working with vehicle plates to make sculptures.

C. L. - Besides your artwork, are there other things in life that your artist voice might consider vital or valuable? In other words, what makes you joyful and creative?

F. - In addition to contact with nature, my loved ones and my rich inner world, there are thousands of characters that inspire me to create and continue to work, such as Horacio Pagani, Henry Ford, Enrico Piaggio, Picasso, Elon Musk and many other people with stories of overcoming and struggling that never gave up until they realized their dreams.

Artist statement

After many years of positive progress and with the newly restoration work of these old films and art-videos. I finally realize that the videos made at the peak of my breakdown, tears down the walls of my apartment and shows the world how mentally ill and isolated people live, thinks and feel.

Shows how the everyday life of the lonely people is. Those people that normally not appears in public spaces because of their problems and are hidden behind the walls in confinement of their apartment, so no one sees them or noticed them.

I hope these films/videos can be used as information about those lost and damned people and help to an understanding from the public about these issues. - Danny Germansen

Each of these 1min. video-art pieces are windows into the life of the estranged people. Outsiders battling depression and other mental issues or physical diseases, while living a life in loneliness and isolation in our society.

These people are now knocking on your door and asking to come inside your life, your mind, your TV, your consciousness. - Danny Germansen

INTERVIEW with Danny Germansen

Dr. Carmela Loiacono talks with Danny Germansen, who participated during RenovArt Video Screening Festival, from June 15 to 30, 2022 in Matera at Spazio Opera with "Inner Projections from a Broken Man (Remastered 2022)" and "Slave of the Mind". 

Danny participated during the collective exhibition Be Yourself - Be Contemporary, the 10th event of the project RenovArt at Lega Navale Italiana (February 8-28, 2024) with his video art work: "Slave of the Mind". 

Carmela Loiacono - How would you describe yourself and your artwork?

Danny Germansen - I’m a minimalist, expressionist and avantgardist, working with angst, human pain, melancholia, alienation and loneliness - My film/video work are mostly semiautobiographical works inspired by my life with a disability and a long life with neglect, physic abuse and depression. But I’m also starting to touch other subjects in my film work like political issues and philosophical issues. The first part of my film/video-art work has also been used as a form of art therapy for me. Working with and showing my pains, angst and loneliness to the world and thereby also in making these works, working with and analyzing my own pains and problems and thereby trying to cope with my illnesses. I would say that working with my problems thru art has helped me on the way to a form of healing. I also do a more colorful and playful, positive form of pop-art poster works and t-shirt designs.

C. L. - When is your favorite time of day to create?

D. G. - In the morning, first thing, sometime even before having my first cop of tea. And then working all morning and the early hours. I think its because in the morning the thoughts in my mind are most clear, most pure and the ideas are more clear for me, then at the end of the day where other life issues has been infecting me. But also in the evening laying in my bed before sleeping I get many ideas and inspirations, I then write the ideas down on my iPhone and then start working with

them sometimes next morning already or at a later point, after gathering ideas enough for a film script, then I start to write the script.

C. L. - Describe how art is important to society.

D. G. - Art can tell stories and enlighten people on different subjects, like my movies about mental illness. But also make people happy, entertain and make them laugh, which I also thinks is very important, to feel good and get thru life. Or also as an escapism, tell good stories about friendship, fighting against the evil together and inspire, to give hope, give ideas and make people learn something about human behavior, history and so on.

But also bring awareness about serious subjects. Sometimes when I look at art, there is the craft to admire, but also the idea behind the art puzzles me, and intrigued me. And thats entertainment also.

C. L. - What motivates you to create your works?

D. G. - To be curious about solving puzzles on how to do my work. To see your ideas become physical, the craftsmanship and to see the end result, always a lust to tell new stories, try out new ideas. The zen of being creative and loose yourself in an illusion of make-believe, just like when you read a book or watch a film. To get lost in the idea, the concept. And step out of it again, and then move on to next project. I like telling stories in film, because you touch a subject while you work with it, and in the next film a new subject. That do for me I never get bored. Each film production is an adventure.

C. L. - On June 24, 2022 SLAVE OF THE MIND won best experimental film, best soundtrack and best poster at Cult Critics Movie awards. What have critics and collectors said about your work?

D. G. - That it is a true influence, honest, brutal and direct description of mental illness. That many other filmmakers is not able to make this, because they don't have the insight that I have. And that people who also suffer mental illness can maybe find comfort in watching the film and feel that they are not alone with their experience.

And that it maybe can explain to common people how the pain of mental illness is manifesting itself on the person suffering. I talked to people who visits and treats mental ill patients, and they say, what my films depict is spot on the target. That these people exists but you don’t see them in public spaces. So most of society is not even aware of such lifes is being lived!

C. L. - How do you define success as an artist?

D. G. - Being able to work and keep having ideas is the must important thing to me. And off-course also, that people want to interact with my art and me. Money and fame is not the driveforce for me, but just to work with interesting ideas and projects in film, video, music, poster art and t-shirts design is a dream come true to me. To get better with my craftsmanship in the disciplines i like to do, and also seeing myself evolve in ideas and touching different subjects is fullfiling for me. Trying always to do something new and maybe be progressive about it. And also as always work together with amazing people to fulfil a project, thats payment enough for me.

C. L. - What are your favorite and least favorite parts of professional art?

D. G. - Least Favorite:

People who think themselves very important. And think they are geniuses. Too many pretentious artist around. No matter if you are considered a genius, it dose not give you the right to act like an asshole. Or think you are a God, the most important for me is the art, those who think their art will change the history of the world, are for me the most less interesting artists. And the jealousy other artist have towards a person who is doing good and better them, and trying to damage

their succes. Some of those people behave like animals and are only about their own narcissisme and ego. I guess that's a part of the world.

Most Favorite part:

To be able to meet kindred spirits and talk ideas and life. And to work with what is my favorite subjects and being creative and innovative at the same time.

C. L. - What are your new career goals?

D. G. - Being more productive, and to eat up my to-do list. Maybe starting to experiment with green screen filmmaking, I'm starting to see some possibilities in story telling there. I had to close down pre-production of my latest short film Hunger-strike, due to covid-19, so hopefully I will get to resume work on that film. In the near future it is finishing and releasing some of the music I composed under the covid-19 lockdowns and to work with music videos also for my own music.