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What inspired you to create art and become an artist? (events, feelings, experiences...)
The first impulse came from seeing the cover of the album by the Swedish band Tiamat. The album is titled Wildhoney and was released in 1994, when I was a teenager. The cover, when you unfolded the booklet, was composed of beautiful painted illustrations, and it sparked the feeling in me: "I want to become a painter." As a child, I scribbled a lot in notebooks, but I think that moment of seeing the album cover was the strongest impulse for what happened next.
What is your artistic background, techniques, and themes you have experimented with so far?
I have experimented with many techniques: dry pastels, oil pastels, ink, watercolor, markers, poster paint, and acrylics. However, I ultimately chose oil paint, which remains my most commonly used medium in painting. In drawing, I like to experiment and combine techniques. As for themes, I’ve probably gone through everything imaginable. :-)
What are the 3 aspects that distinguish you from other artists, making your works unique?
Viewers say I have my own unique style. Essentially, no one paints quite like me—unless there's someone I don’t know of who has recently started imitating me.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
In recent years, I’ve mainly drawn inspiration from femininity, and with that, from the shapes of the female body, facial features, specific poses I select, clothing, and erotic accessories that adorn the woman/model. Sometimes, I create a narrative around the figure infused with psychology, sociology, religion, and so on.
What is your artistic approach? What visions, experiences, or emotions do you want to evoke in the viewer?
I would like to see the viewer open their mouth wide in awe when they see my painting. I want them to feel a rush of heat and for their heartbeat to quicken from the impression. I also hope a wide smile appears on their face.
What is the process behind creating your work? Is it spontaneous or does it involve a long preparatory process (technical, inspired by art classics or others)?
Sometimes, I start by making a few drawings. These are usually half-sketches/half-studied drawings of the figure that will later appear in the painting. However, both the sketches and the final paintings are based on photographs, which I try to take myself as often as possible. Sometimes, I use ready-made photographs found online.
Do you use a specific working technique? If so, can you explain it?
It's hard for me to answer this question. I don't think there is any particular or specific technique I use.
Are there any innovative aspects in your work? Could you tell us which ones?
I think that the technique itself, the style, is something innovative in my painting. It might also be innovative that I don't prime the canvas, but instead prepare it in a way that it doesn’t absorb the paint. Perhaps it's also innovative to combine artistic oil paints with industrial oil paints, although I’ve heard that Pop Art artists did similar experiments.
Do you have a format or medium you feel most comfortable with? If so, why?
Oil paint. For me, it is the most malleable and noble medium, in a certain sense.
Where do you create your work? At home, in a shared workshop, or in your own studio? And in that space, how do you organize your creative process?
I'd prefer not to use the word "production" in this case. My paintings are created in my apartment, which also serves as my studio. As for the organization of my work, I don’t use easels. I hang the canvas on the wall, and I mix and thin the paints in wide containers on my workshop table.
Does your work require you to travel for meetings with new collectors, fairs, or exhibitions? If so, what do you gain from it?
It happens that collectors come to me, or they travel to meet me. However, my work naturally leads me to participate in exhibitions of other artists. And what do I gain from that? It can simply be inspiring for me and motivates me to continue working.
How do you envision the evolution of your work and career as an artist in the future?
I imagine and dream of reaching as wide an audience as possible and getting into many of the world's best art galleries. As for the evolution of my work, it’s harder for me to imagine, as my painting evolves almost on its own, as a result of my personal growth.
Can you tell us about your most important exhibition experience?
I recall one such experience related to participating in a portrait-themed exhibition. The exhibition took place in London, at the Brick Lane Gallery. The point is, I took part in this exhibition in a sense on my own , but I won’t reveal the details, as it’s a matter between me and the exhibition organizers.
If you could have created a famous artwork in the history of art, which would you choose? And why?
I hope that one of my existing works will eventually achieve “famous” status. :-)
If you could invite one famous artist (living or deceased) to dinner, who would it be? How would you suggest spending the evening with them?
It would probably be Jenny Saville. We would spend the evening talking about painting and music. I think we would find a lot of common ground. :-)
Olimpia Gaia Martinelli 
