Inside the Studio
Titti Garelli
What are the major themes you pursue in your work?
The principal theme of my paintings is beauty. In an age when art refuses the concept of beauty and confines it to a background position, I try to tell it by means of my works, which always portrays the female figure as the main character. I typically paint girls caught between childhood and young adulthood, as it is for me the golden age of perfect beauty. Then, in relation with the various series in which my work develops itself, I bring life into their figures. Their clothing is inspired from past art historical movements; this makes the female figures of my paintings live in a contemporary age.
What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
Be yourself. Do not follow what is in fashion, just follow the course of your own thoughts.
Prefer to work with music or in silence?
I always work alone, but I like to hear voices around me. So I do not listen to music, which might distract me, but rather I prefer to listen to reruns of movies or TV series that I already know.
If you could only have one piece of art in your life, what would it be?
Concerning notions of beauty–what artwork would be more iconic than Botticelli’s Birth of Venus? It encompasses all of the beauty, grace, and the elegance of Italy that I love.
Who are your favorite writers?
I have always loved Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings is one of my favorite series. But I really like Jorge Luis Borges too, as he is a magnetic author.
