Interview
Irene Giannettino
Irene was born in Palermo, Italy. She went to Art High School, where she mainly studied sculpture and drawing techniques. Irene then went on to the Academy of Fine Art, where she studied photography, art and cinema history, finally graduating as a graphic designer.
Irene took part in an artistic project in 2019 called 'Wildfire Gallery', a travelling pop-up art gallery. It lasted only a year but allowed her to gain experience as an artist, curator assistant, and art handler. This prompted her to take a short course at the UAL on art handling and installation to improve her abilities.
Irene organized, designed and curated her first solo exhibition in 2021. The exhibition made her realize how important it is to be able to be independent and rely on your skills. She is now working on a second solo exhibition.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“As far as I can recall, I’ve always had an inner force pushing me to create. Since I was very young, I’ve loved to draw, play with clay or collect materials to combine them and create something new.
I was born in Palermo, Italy. There, I started my journey studying sculpture and drawing techniques in high school and graphic design at the Academy of Fine Arts. In 2013, I moved to London and worked as a freelance graphic designer. My first 2,5 years in London were far from easy, but things began to turn around in 2016, when I attended a short course at UAL, which unlocked and improved my creative thinking. In the same year, I went to Dublin for a workshop in graphic design for filmmaking, and soon after that, I started working as a freelance graphic designer for filmmaking.
The true turning point in my journey, however, was in 2019, after I took part in the Wildfire Gallery project. That was when I decided I want to actively work as a fine artist.”
What inspires you most?
“I’m an extremely curious person, and life is the most mysterious thing surrounding me. Life experiences are the first thing that inspires me.
The second is the physicality of the materials. I get fascinated by the shapes of objects, the way materials and mediums behave; the powerful feeling one can give with just a juxtaposition of colors or of two or more images.”
“Art is always a step forward, and the artist will always show the world a unique point of view, enriching their way of living.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“In my art you will see my curiosity about life, the world around us, who we are as humans, how we connect with each other or with the environment, and the meaning of our experiences.
I look at art as a form of self-enquiry, analyzing past, present and future as a way to understand what life is, what living is. I create to interrogate life, examine my own experiences, and admire, question or criticize the world around me.”
How would you describe your work?
“I would consider my work to be eclectic. I love to experiment with mediums, learn new techniques, and jump into new ways of creating.
I cut paintings and put other canvases inside them. I incorporate objects inside canvases, or I use dry patches of acrylics to create 3D work. I also like to use bright colors in everything I do, to catch attention and emphasize the feeling.”
Which artists influence you most?
“I’m influenced by many artists. I like to read about their lives, their inner thoughts, and their way of revolutionizing art.
There are those who inspired me with their work and ideas, like David Hockney, Andy Warhol and Rauschenberg. There are also those whose life gave me inspiration, like Marina Abramovic, Frida Kahlo and van Gogh. And then there are designers and illustrators whose work I like to look at and get inspired from, like Saul Bass, Heinz Edelmann, Bruno Munari and Al Hirschfeld.”
What is your creative process like?
“The idea for an artwork can come from experiences, dreams, a book that made an impact, or just a day out. I write down the concept of the idea and search for an image. Sometimes I can spend days thinking about that idea, observing everything around me, browsing through books and real life. Sometimes the picture I start with is not always the same as the end product, but will bring me to another path. I don’t exactly know how I choose one image instead of another. When it is the right one, I feel it inside.
There are times when instead of an image, it is a material that gives me the idea. When I started realizing 3D trees with dry acrylic colors, I got the vision from the plasticity or the colors. I liked how I could peel them off the palette, patches that looked like a painting coming out of the canvas, becoming a 3D object.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“An artist is an anti-conformist and innovator, always looking for meaning in humanity. Making art is a sort of meditation and exploration of the world and of life. An artist shows different points of view and opens the mind to critical thinking.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“On a personal level, my solo exhibition was a significant experience. It was the first exhibition organized, designed and curated by me. It gave me a great sense of achievement and made me aware of my capabilities.”
