Multifaceted Paper Artist Chantal Maiorano

The 2024 Lucca Biennale Cartasia in Italy has ended, however that does not imply it’s too late to introduce one other one of many resident artists whose work was acknowledged there. I first featured Joanathan Bessaci in August, and have him to thank for alerting me to Chantal Maiorano. I do know you will get pleasure from seeing the exceptional artwork she creates and attending to know her via reflective ideas about selecting paper as her medium of alternative.

Welcome, Chantal. I adopted alongside on Instagram as you, Joanathan, and the opposite contributors raced in opposition to the clock to construct imaginative creations. These thirty days appeared to be an exhilarating, however exhausting expertise. Giano, the cardboard sculpture you constructed, is magnificent! You talked about it’s a tribute to Janus Bifrons, the traditional Roman deity symbolizing each the previous and the long run.

I additionally found that you’re fairly a flexible artist who is ready to transfer from one paper artwork method to a different with ease… pop-up development, bookbinding, paper sculpture, even paper flower making. Inform us about your self.

“I
like to consider myself as a Paper Explorer and a Visible Storyteller. I
really feel these titles completely seize my artistic journey, pushed by
curiosity and a ardour for pushing the boundaries of what paper and
cardboard can specific.

Italian by beginning, my journey into the
world of paper artwork has been formed by numerous cultural experiences
throughout Italy, the UK, Australia, Switzerland and Spain, the place I
at the moment reside.

As a self-taught creator and not using a conventional
artwork background, I’ve by no means labelled myself an artist within the typical
sense. As a substitute, I’ve at all times seen myself as somebody with numerous
tales to share, and paper has at all times been my go-to medium to inform
them.

What really excites me is the magic that occurs when outdated
meets new—mixing conventional strategies with interactive parts. For
me, artwork isn’t nearly crafting one thing visually interesting; it’s
about sparking connections with those that have interaction with my work. I goal to
evoke a way of surprise and shock, very similar to a magician pulling a
rabbit out of a hat. I genuinely consider that artwork is usually a highly effective instrument
for self-discovery and significant conversations, serving to us join
with ourselves and one another on a deeper degree.

Private progress
and transformation are recurrent themes in my work. Every bit I create
goals to ask viewers to replicate on their very own journeys and faucet into
their inside sources to navigate life’s ups and downs.

I’m notably happy with Giano, a three-metre cardboard
sculpture impressed by Janus Bifrons, the traditional Roman god of
transitions and dualities. I introduced Giano to life throughout my Artist
Residency at Cartasia, an unbelievable worldwide pageant devoted to
all issues paper and cardboard.

This sculpture interprets time as a
flowing continuum, linking the previous and future inside the current. With
twin quadrants representing the Previous and Future—every that includes a central
mirror—Giano explores human id as a move between what we’ve got
been and the place we’re going. Its intricate mechanisms replicate the
complexity of thought and expertise, reminding us of our accountability
within the continuity of time and the way our interpretation of actuality is
primarily based on each our previous experiences and future aspirations.

Giano
got here to life with the indispensable assist of my sister, fellow artist,
and designer, Regina Miecchi at @studio.visionaria. Of all her
contributions, essentially the most exceptional was doubtless, giving Giano its
distinctive shade and thus enhancing the machine-like phantasm that defines
the piece.

Taking part
within the Cartasia Artist Residency has supplied me with a way of
group—a useful treasure in a area that may really feel isolating. My
time there was transformative, pushing me past my consolation zone and
granting me a way of belonging inside a supportive creative group.

Giano is at the moment staying on show in the identical place that hosted it for
the Biennale (Palazzo Guinigi). It hasn’t been confirmed for the way lengthy,
however folks can nonetheless view it though the Biennale has ended.

One other
undertaking that’s near my coronary heart is a calendar I co-created at Kombo, a
Swiss-based studio. Impressed by the UN Worldwide 12 months of Artisanal
Fisheries and Aquaculture, this sequence featured endangered marine
species and aimed to lift consciousness in regards to the significance of small-scale
fisheries in our tradition and setting, conveying a message of
preservation and our interconnectedness with the pure world.

Recently,
I’ve additionally discovered pleasure in educating pop-up e-book workshops, sharing my
ardour with aspiring creators. Presently, I’m diving into a private
undertaking—a pop-up e-book exploring progress and transformation, illustrating
that all of us have the instruments we have to navigate life’s challenges.

By
interactive sculptures, storytelling, and workshops, I goal to encourage
surprise and assist folks uncover their very own artistic potential.

Creativity
is for everybody, and as a self-taught artist, I’m on a mission to indicate
that anybody can discover and increase their world—one piece of paper at a
time.”