This week the Youth Observer reached out to talented and sensational artist, Rochelle Fernando.
Rochelle was born in 1989 and grew up in Milan, Italy, her exposure to Italian art and architecture and art has shaped her life as an artist.
She graduated as an architect and went on to peruse further studies in Art and photography at the Rome University of fine arts. She believes in experiencing her own mind through art and creating what is beautiful.
Q: What made you get into art?
A: From childhood I was different. I did not want to play with toys that were already made, I wanted to create stuff. I wrote cartoons, I made structures and sculptures. Art fascinated me. My childhood in Milan was very favorable to this as well. I was exposed to art and architecture. I went to art exhibitions and visited museums so I was attracted to it from a very young age.
Q: How do you think where you grew up has affected your work?
A: Since I was a child, I saw things created by great artists. After graduating I had the opportunity to work with a world-famous architect in Italy and it was a massive privilege, I am so proud that I got the opportunity to do this. So, these experiences have shaped my work in a positive way and I am very glad for it.
Q: What is your approach to art?
A: I never think about what I am going to do on the canvas, before creating art. I just get started, let my subconscious talk to me. I don’t want to put myself in a frame or set parameters for myself. When I am done with what I am doing. I will sit and explore what I have created and it most of the time speaks to me in a very spiritual level. I find things out about myself through my art.
Q: Who are your biggest artistic influences?
A: My favourite artist is Lucio Fontana, he changed the way of art and he is one of my idols. I fell in love with his art when I saw them for the first time and I have wanted to make my art speak to people the same way.
Q: Where do you find inspiration?
A: I am inspired by life, myself, mostly I don’t think about it, it is like a dream. My art is in fact my thoughts and my imagination expressed in a very personal way making conveying the message away from common norms.
Q: When is your favorite time of day to create?
A: In the morning, I have more energy in the morning and I find that very refreshing. I usually do yoga with meditation and when I get to work, I don’t have a fixed schedule or number of hours to work, I just do as I am motivated.
Q: How is art important to society?
A: It is important because it tells it about the time, the period the art is created, what is going on, in society, in people’s minds, what drives them etc. Some people communicate social matters through art, and I think that is very important. I am not that kind of artist, I like to create things that are beautiful. But I believe art is a tool to make society better.
Q: What motivates you to create?
A: My motivation is purely my passion, I am, myself when I create. I enter a whole new world along with my thoughts and my imagination and it is so peaceful and beautiful. When I am in my zone, I don’t even feel hungry, it makes me satisfied to do what I am doing.
Q: How do you define success as an artist?
A: I do not think that you can measure the success of an artist. For me, however, success is not how many paintings I sell or how much money I am making. It is about how people are pursuing my art. How they are enjoying it, if it evokes emotions and feelings in people.
Q: Does art help you in other areas of your life?
A: Artists are naturally very sensitive people, so being the way, I am helps me in my profession as an architect. I like to often mix art and architecture and for me, the results of this are often out of this world.
Q: Tell us about your involvement in the urban island exhibition.
A: The Urban Island exhibition will take place on the 19th of May 2023 and I had a fashion collection on display together with my paintings and a few furniture pieces that were designed by me and created by KCN furniture.
This exhibition runs with a concept of ‘oneness’ which is a concept I have worked under for many years. It showcases wonderful art and provides an opportunity for people to see various forms of art, including oil paintings, sculptures, architecture, pencil sketches, etc.
Q: Do you think artists in Sri Lanka have enough media to showcase their art?
A: I believe artists nowadays restrict themselves; when I was discovering my style as an artist, I tried different materials, I used burnt plastic, I used asbestos sheets and many more.
So, I believe it is very important to explore.
Q: What advice do you have to give to aspiring artists?
A: I will tell them to explore. Explore through many media.
Explore ways of presenting art, just don’t give yourself self-expression parameters.
I believe this is very important to grow as artists.
