"I just would like to give magic glasses to the observer to let them dream, as I do when I create, as we did when we were children."

Italian artist Vera Vizzi creates microcosms - utopian spaces in which she explores the many facets of human experience. In these little worlds, a small detail can tell a big story and it is up to the viewer to decipher the hidden message behind each piece.

After having worked as a graphic designer for over ten years, Vizzi decided that the digital pixel was too limited for what she sought to express and decided to escape the rigid rules of graphics by throwing herself headlong into creating with her hands. 

 

Detail of star among the stars, 2021

 

INTERVIEW WITH THE ARTIST

Q. Did you always want to be an artist? 

A. Being an artist has been my wish since I was a child, but I never thought: "I'll be an artist when I grow up". Ever since I can remember, I just knew that creativity would accompany me forever because it was (and is) in my every single breath.

 

 

Q. How did you arrive from being a graphic designer at being an artist? And do you feel like the two professions are related or are they entirely different things to you?

A. When I chose to be a graphic designer I thought it would be the most beautiful job in the world. Unfortunately, over time I found myself to be a mere executor of stylistic and aesthetic choices of others. And the situation began to get narrow. I wanted something that was mine alone, where I was the one to decide, I was ready to walk alone, in fact, I wanted to run. The two professions are certainly related in some way, the type of aesthetic research that distinguishes my work as an artist is certainly influenced by the designer that I am. 

 

Q. How did you arrive at this concept of creating small three-dimensional worlds?

A. My way of making art is inspired by the world of dioramas. I think it’s awesome to be able to represent an entire world in just a few cubic centimetres. I have an urge to tell stories and this sort of 'stage' provides me with the right setting to make my characters come to life.

 

 

Q. Each of your pieces seems to tell a story – how do you choose your subjects?

A. The subjects seek me. They stem from everyday objects, memories, reflections, or hopes. I show what my heart dictates and when every thought is transformed into colour and matter I know that another beat of another heart will convey what I have to say.

 

Pink Dream, 2022
Mixed Media on Wood

 

Q. Where does your love for storytelling come from?

A. Since I was little, my mother and especially my grandmother have always told me fairy tales and true stories, they always read me many books. I think it comes from there.

 

Q. Each of your works is accompanied by a short poem, do you consider these an integral part of the artwork?

A. The small poem that accompanies the works is a key to its interpretation; I'd like to see it as a sort of soundtrack to accompany the visual aspect of the work, something that amplifies the emotion it evokes.

 

 

Q. Could you describe your creative process?

A. My creative process can go in two different directions, and which one is decided by chance.
The first direction (my favorite) is the one in which I luckily stumble upon an object, a word in an unusual context, a sign in the sky, and from here I have the vision of what will become a painting. In my head, it already exists. 

The second way in which my creativity takes shape, originates in a concept that I consciously decide to realize. The length and difficulty of this process is determined by the quest to find the way to bring an idea to life and the materials that fit it best.

 

Green Taste, 2022
Mixed Media on Wood

 

Q. Your latest works have a bit of a different atmosphere. They are rather grey toned and include elements of graffiti, could you tell us a bit about how you arrived at this new direction? 

A. One day, I thought about the moment I started to see extraordinary worlds in the everyday. I immediately remembered the walls, because looking at those cracks and graffiti or writing on the walls, I always imagined so much world. That's when I began to experiment.

 

 

Q. Your work has a certain playfulness to it, is this a reflection of your personality?

A. Yes, I am generally a playful person. In my works, however, it is almost always only the language that is playful. The core message of my artworks is more deep and sometimes even disturbing. I try to mitigate this with language.

"I like the fact that art can say anything without hurting you in the process."

 

Till When, 2022
Mixed Media on Wood

 

Q. What would you like your work to evoke in the viewer?

A. I just would like to give magic glasses to the observer to let him dream, as I do when I create, as we did when we were children.

 

 

Q. What, do you think, are the main challenges facing artists today?

A. I think it's really hard for an artist to show their work in a world overflowing with images that are not always of high value.

 

Close up of Tag This, 2022

 

Q. And what has been your most rewarding experience? 

A. Public exhibitions are always loaded with emotions. The bright eyes of people who hear you tell about your work is the greatest gratification in the world.

 

 

Q. Has selling art online had an impact on your life as an artist?

A. It has certainly had an impact on my life. The visibility that online platforms can provide gives art a chance to be loved by many people and gives the artist the opportunity to get feedback from a wider audience. It is rewarding to create knowing that many eyes will dream and many hearts will be moved just by looking at my work of art.

 

Galaxy Rainbow, 2021
Mixed Media on Wood

 

Q. Which other creatives, books, music, or movies inspire you?

A. I am inspired by the colors and lines of street art. I love vector graphics very much, maybe because of my background. I have a degree in Communication Design and have worked as a designer for 10 years. I feel at peace inside graphic alignments, big white areas, and fonts.

The book that inspired me, as a person more than an artist, is “L’isola di Arturo” by Elsa Morante Perhaps because an island is just a small world, surrounded by sea and sky.

 

Q. What would you still like to achieve as an artist?

A. I have just started to paint; I hope to still go a long way with that.
In the immediate future, I would love to experience the first day of my solo show in Milan in a normal way: with a lot of people, without masks. I know this would be emotional.

 

 

Q. Could you describe your work in three words?

 A. Magic - Soul - Passion