“ Never say Never” *Questions set for artist* -LelaPerez interview

Thanks To the beautiful and creative artist Emanuela LelaPerez Peretto, Fashion Illustrator , Graphic Designer, Stylist, Jewellery Designer, Painter, more Art more Emotions…

øTheP: Where were you born?/Where did you grow up?

ELelaP:: I was born In a little paradise city called Bassano del Grappa, in the North of Italy and near Venice. Bassano is very famous for the beautiful landscapes, for its history ( Napoleon, Hemingway passed there) Monuments , Grappa’s drink and many famous artists as Andrea Palladio, Jacopo da Ponte , Antonio Canova …
In my childhood I lived between Bassano, the city, and the near towsn rich of lands and hills: my Grandparents and Aunts where living in a big farm in San Zenone degli Ezzelini and so I passed a fantastic period in contact with nature, that means a lot for me. I was involved in art because of my mum, painter and saxophonist, and because of my dad, wood’s artigian. I starting draw at the age of 4, and after school’s education and graduation in Scientific subjects , I realized to totally follow the direction of Art ‘s life and moving to Milan to study Fashion and Jewelry Design in Scotland. In Milan all my body paint ‘s life started in 2011 and I have already worked for many fashion magazines, photographers, events, international body paint festival and contests … I am looking forward to see what Future will give to me soon…

øTheP: Who (or what) do you love?

ELelaP: It is difficult to resume what or who I love , there’s to much (lol)!!! But first of all I love my family, my friends, my art work and my life as it is !! I am a positive person as you can read and I love to give positive vibrations to people that surround me and to make them happy , I love to create ,I love to draw my feelings and paint what I see in my mind, I love paint people in order to create Art in motion and a more colorful world, I love travel and I love adventures, I love laugh, I love live & love, I love Dalì’s art, I love vinci’s creation, I love music, I love dance, I love running , and I love being always curious… I stop myself now, I think to have said a lot!!!

øTheP: When did you first discover your creative talents?

ELelaP: I was 4 years old and I was doing a portrait to my GrandFather , for that age I did an incredible draw of him and in that moment I realized to be gift in life and have a creative talent to re -create with my hands what I was seeing and thinking! From that moment I never stop drawing and painting .. I was painting in the walls, on the floor, in papers, dolls, everything … I thank my parents to never stop the freedom of my creation !!!

øTheP: Who and/or what are some of your influences?

ELelaP: My strong inlfuences come from Art ( Dalì, Da vinci, Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh, De Chirico,..) , Music ( from classic music to rock and electronic music ), fashion and natural photography , from the love of ancient history of Egypt ( Pharaons, Pyramid,..) Incas, Maya.and Primitives…I am very influencd by geometry of nature, food , flowers, stones and also by the religious and profan signs and symbols of Aborigines usage…

øTheP: How would you describe your art to someone who could not see it?

ELelaP: My art is to create a new dimension of reality with Bodies and People painted with different colors, special effects, applications on the skin: You can be surrounded by strange and unusual artistic creautures that open a new way to see the world. I like to define my art as ”tridimensional Art in Motion” where only the photography can fix it and let it not dissolve during the years.

When I am performing I always combined my paintings in live with a duo of djs and musicians in order to create a sensorial show :with Pineapple Xpress (project composed by the producer Lucio Cremasco, singer and musician Matte della Giustina) where we create an alternative electronic visual/sound show and with the Italian singer Mila ( I body paint her while she is singing and playing her music).

øTheP: How do you prepare yourself for a day of shooting? Rituals?

ELelaP: I normally prepare myself looking at my colors, closing my eyes and thinking and flying with the ideas, images that I have in my mind. I recreate the art work to do in my mind like a piece of canvas , when later I will translate all in a real body.

I don’t have special rituals, but just five minutes of Yoga before the starting time , it is very useful for me to bring bakc the concentration.

øTheP: Which is your favorite piece you have created? and Why?

ELelaP: I really love my body paintings done with the famous and big Photographers Luca Patrone ( Milan), Alexo Athanasios ( Salonicco, Milan) and Fabrizio Biaggi( Switzerland) .

Respectively, the one is Crysalide , full white body with many colors’s spray on the legs of the model like a real creature born from the white floor and moving like a dancer. The secondo one, is Real Man vs. Virtual Man ( black and white colors on the face) that is an important project that we will explain in another moment and the third one is the project of “ Fleur du mal with a gold, black paint remembering flower’s shapes on the body of the model.

Also the project done for Rough Magazine Italia for the video of “Splendens” (ph . and video maker Luca Maria Piccolo, Editor in chief Nichelle Cole , Dundap wearing ,…) where I recreated a Real Marble Statue , Stunning!

I would like to explain many others body paintings done but I think I wil write a full chapter J..

øTheP: If you could spend the day with anyone – living or deceased whom would you choose and what would hope to gain from the experience?

ELelaP: I have to tell you that one of my dreams is to spend a day with three people together : three Incredible artists, one is Craig Tracy, one of the best body painter in the world that I really estimate and respect for His geniality, incredible creativity and professionality ; the second one is the stunning ecletic artist,singer and musician Björk and Andrew Thomas Huang , amazing filmmaker and artist from Los Angeles. I would love to create a project with them involving body paint, music and video mapping and visuals as never done before ( something impossible? Mah J i have to tell you that I don’t like the word Impossible itself).

øTheP: What is your secret ambition?

ELelaP: My secret ambition?? aahah if it is secret has to remain secret?

øTheP: What is your favorite word?

ELelaP: “ Mai dire mai “ “ Never say Never” is my favourite sentence…that means a lot for me!