It’s 10 years since I received the idea of this technique and I feel to spend few words about it.
Beyond all, I’m always grateful, for the talents and gifts I own, my entire Family tree which express itself through my Art.
But first of all, I need to thanks Ellen Gallagher, the artist who — at whose solo show in London — inspired me to begin this way to sculpt the white of an empty paper sheet, to see what it could come out from it. This happened in August 2013*.
Then I’ve to thank the first totem animal that brought me the message (after a month I begun sculpting hummingbirds) which is to take life lightheartedly and accept my speed of change, together with fragility, sensitivity and elegance — plus many others, depending on different ancient cultures, for which it was sacred.
And I chose to stick on plain white to not loose myself into millions of possibilities, despite the iridescence of my lil messenger and the dealers’ requests.
I took me 3 years to understand that I should have tried the courageous (maybe foolish, considering that I work in Italy) decision to make it for a living, full time, and so everything started. Since the very beginning that I took this commitment, I immediately felt that my role was that of helping to bring to life a new artistic movement and so I did, despite many telling me to beware of others that would have steal my art.
Which it happened, obviously: I had to face the delusion of not being the “only genius” I thought to be for 3 years (thanks to Anne, whose blog allthingspaper.net kicked me off and told me about the artworks of Loraine) ; dealing with the jalousie of seeing youngster having so many more followers; I had to face the fear of feeling robbed when I saw others to have used my way of composing poems, the embossed monograph as signature, the style of creating circular shapes, the stories about meditation etc … up to a Chinese company who stole 17 designs of mine (identical replicas) to create interior design products exactly as I was planning to do myself, meanwhile I was struggling with all the budget and time difficulties that only Italy can gift to emerging manufacturers.
What the hell, I said, Universe!
But then I realized that only great ones are copied, isn’t it?
So this motivated me to go further and beyond: while You guys copy me, I’m already forward in another new way to express it. And so it came the porcelain, the three-dimensional objects and last, the embroidery and colors (from my dad’s grand grandmother) that, exactly today, I merged with calligraphy (from my mom’s grand grandfather): I want to see it as a circle that closes itself, celebrating my first decade, with this idea of one side of my ancestors that touches the other side of my families. Nice, isn’t it?
All these experiences have taught me a lot, in terms of personal growth, and helped me to become a better person and an artist with the aim to keep focusing on the richness of the experience in itself, despite the results and recognition — which is still where I am, as everybody who chose the path of becoming an artist for a living, actually (which is mainly payed in visibility and compliments, oh yes).
On the other hand, I also could experience the honor to be chosen by some people to become their teacher and help many others to receive inspiration and enlightenment from simply following my pictures online, through social medias — even if I’m very bad at marketing and my post strategies remain very low in conversion rating. But we cannot be great at everything, isn’t it?
Today, after 10 years, I simply try to watch the scenario from far away — as I spent last 2 years very badly, not allowing me to work at my best — and see how this initial perception of contributing to create an avant-garde movement has rooted and found many good new exponents of this peculiar technique which I initially named #paperpoetry because I didn’t know the definition of paper sculpting.
With some it happened to feel immediate friendship and exchange (like Anne), and from others I received hostility or no consideration at all in mentioning me as inspiration, despite their artworks are so close to my style.
To these people I’d like to say what I say to those that I have the honor to personally support, step by step, in their blossoming: it’s ok to start by copying but then, PLEASE, listen carefully to WHO YOU ARE and find YOUR OWN WAY.
Only this way we can share a technique but contribute all together to create a movement of TRUE BEAUTY into the quantum field, that need to be sustained and elevated in terms of frequencies — which is the reason why You felt this call and begun to turn YourSelf into an Artist, no matter what.
Commit to Your Self, honor your teachers and inspirations, enjoy every moment of your practice, do not focus on money only and consider your need of recognition as an opportunity to get rid of expectations (which are bad frequencies and memories that vibrates to low, considering the the future that we’re all shaping to turn into).
Keep the faith and never consider Yourself as “arrived”: every year and every day you can learn from an unexpected mistake or turn your style into something new, accessing NEW WAYS OF EXPRESSING YOUR SELF, ALWAYS… AND ALL WAYS ARE GOOD.
This is what a learned from those I could help personally (like Tuan or Maria) which through passing them my knowledge allowed me to learn so much about what we’re all up to, in this game of meditative practice and art, to learn how to become generous and leave a legacy to those that will take over from us, and then help to shape others after them.
In this way, the Systemic Artistic Expression morphs itself throughout years and people and becomes powerful and alive, as happened to great “life changing” movements, like the Impressionism, for example: they all started from a different visual expression of the Light in perceiving the reality and this gave the possibility to many to share their own poetic and styles and narrations of reality to the rest of the world, the public, which this way receives and slowly follows the change, in term of systemic perception which shaped the history of Art until nowadays… Because this is what Art serves for: to evolve both personally and, ultimately, as Human Kind.
Sounds complicated? But it is not: Art belongs to those who need it to move their soul towards elevation and healing, and that’s it. The rest is just the art market, which is compleeeetly another story. Do not care about it. That’s some people’s financial gaming… Nothing to do with Art in the semantic meaning of it, historically and shamanically speaking.
And So It Is.
Today there are about a ten of us (as far as I know, but who knows how many more?)… and I’ve been blamed to have created my competitors myself… But I keep reasoning in a systemic way and I’m very proud of all of Us.
Let’s keep growing together, out there.
Enjoy.
❤️
NB:
I conclude thanking all those people that have had resonated with my Art, so far, and that wished and/or own an artwork of mine: it is because of you guys that I’m still going on today, despite all change of minds, and ALWAYS will do, as far as my health allows me enjoying it.
(*) Before the first, I want to thank the serendipity in the shape of the airbnb girl, where I was staying in London, in August 2013, who lend me her Tate’s card and insisted I’d to go. Ceire: my first hummingbird was dedicated to You <3