27 26 version to an “official” catalogue in which I explained what had led me in that direction. I also talked about my experience of working in the field of communication, when I was stuck in a room listening to music and, at the same time, on the monitors, I had three or four in front of me, checking the launches of the press agencies. I must admit that this job also allowed me to travel a lot, to learn how to organise the different phases of a project and more: in that context, I had the opportunity to meet my husband Stefano, the love of my life, who allowed me to dedicate myself to art and with whom I had two fabulous children, Marco and Sofia. A reason for which I will always be grateful to life. I also had the pleasure of having as my boss Luigi Torre, father of Mattia Torre, whom I met when he was very young and to whom I remained linked by a deep friendship until his premature death. From a painting point of view, what was your approach to the study of technique? In the beginning, I wanted to dedicate myself to Flemish painting technique and to that of the Macchiaioli. They said I was good at reproducing reality, and even an antique painting, for me it was like doing maths. Of course, I took great pleasure in painting seascapes, landscapes... I felt that this state appeased my eternal restlessness, but it wasn’t what I was looking for. When I finally decided to leave my job in communication and dedicated myself exclusively to art, going to the studio every day did not change my habits. I went about my day like any other profession, but I was finally happy to paint full time. At the same time, this freedom also allowed me, as I had a family, to be available for my children when necessary. It was precisely the family that helped me to have that contact with reality that I could have lost if I had always stayed in the studio. How has your technique evolved over time? Initially, I concentrate on painting, but then I distanced myself from the academic approach, experimenting with other techniques such as photography, but always reworked on the computer and contaminated with painting and video art, which accompanied each project. After a series of projects, including D.I.O. Determine Illumination and Darkness (2007), in which I compared the presence/absence of positive and negative symbolism, Urban Aspirations (2013), Here and Now (2014) and Butterfly Effect (2014), I felt agian the need to “get my hands dirty”. I used colours, later combining them with resins and other materials, to recreate what I had been able to visually process with photography. But I felt I had to go beyond. In the meantime, I attended a wonderful professional illustration course in Rome at the Scuola di Fumetto e Illustrazione Pencil Art. I learned there that the stroke is something unique. One of the exercises was to portray a model from life who was in the middle of the room and whose position was changed every three minutes. In that short time, we had to draw an image of what we saw. Copying reality is something anyone can do, of course you must know how to do it, but the stroke is something unique and changes from person to person. Yes, I had to give the hand freedom. A further evolution took place during the lockdown in spring 2020, when I also started drawing with my left hand, which I had never used before. This freedom was instrumental in giving the stroke an even more creative vein. Today I draw with both hands. Let us dwell on your solo exhibition Extraurbane (2008) at Gallery 196 in Rome, your first collaboration with gallery owner Federica Di Stefano. A project born from the suggestions of the trip you made to Burkina Faso in 2007, which was also the occasion that introduced us to... It all started with Bettie Petith, an extraordinary American woman who has lived in Rome since the 1980s and who created Fitil, a very serious non profit organisation active in various villages in Burkina Faso. I decided to go to Burkina Faso because I only had a glimpse of Africa, I had been in a village in Kenya, and I wanted a more direct confrontation with real life. With Bettie, who is our trait d’union, I had the chance to get to know the village of Sakouli, sleeping and living there. It was the discovery of a part of West Africa! I remember the incessant noise coming from outside, the first night in Ouagadougou, in Fitil's operational headquarters: I wondered if it was woodcocks, or maybe seagulls, but then I discovered it was geckos in love. Nature was extraordinarily present and intense. I also remember the vitality and energy in the capital. During the trip to Burkina Faso, of course, the camera helped me to capture the moment also in anticipation of processing this experience through art. The exhibition Extra– urbane was born from the desire to tell, through my eyes, the beauty and elegance, aspects that go beyond the western stereotypes of Africa. At that time, the 20th edition of Fespaco, the Pan African Film Festival, was taking place, with a series of cultural events including in Ouaga 2000, on the evening of 2 March, a fashion show with wonderful clothes by Senegalese, Ivorian, Ghanaian and Burkinabe designers. In addition to the cut and shape of these clothes, I was struck by the use of fabric colours and contrasting combinations. I have the feeling
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