You are now a full-time mural artist, you have also studied for a degree in Statistics, gained a masters in Biostatics and have a PhD in statistical genetics. In which ways, if any, has your scientific education complimented your visual art career?

 

Valeria: My education helped me to understand what it means to really commit to something and study very much. I learnt a lot from the other people I met. Especially one professor in particular (Prof. Devoto), she really taught me how to be serious and honest about what you do. Studying Math and Art is has been always very important to me. From my scientific background I learned how to be serious, strong, positive and honest in what I do now.

 

 To what extent do you believe that both science and art is a search for truth?

 

Valeria: I strongly believe that science is the experimental way to get to some repeatable truth. I think that art is what we lack in instincts, since we live in society and we need to standardize ourselves and speak same languages. We lost our wildness and art is a way to express that wildness in our filtered way and… this is truth.

 

You specialised in Scenic Art during your Post Graduate Diploma at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 2011-2012. You found out that you had made it onto your chosen course 24 hours after you had your interview, congratulations. Please describe as much you can, the application and interview processes you went through.

 

Valeria: The application… I don’t remember that much. One year before I got in touch with my future teacher, went to the RADA exhibition and I just loved what I’d seen, large scale paintings and trompe l’oeil – creating a 3D illusion on a 2D surface. They (RADA) called me for an interview and for the first time in my life I showed somebody (that is not family) all my work. They asked me all the questions they could have asked, like why I chose the particular subject, why I need to paint or to draw. It was the first time in my life that someone was really interested in my paintings. I was really happy even if I hadn’t got the chance to become a student but luckily they called me and were happy to have me there.

 

What was the experience like for you at RADA?

 

Valeria: It’s very different from real theatre life. There you explore painting techniques, especially creating a 3D effect on a 2D surface (trompe l’oeil) and other very complicated techniques. But when I was working for the theatre it was not really the same, there’s not so much painting, there’s much more texture. The education was really good but the impact working as a freelance scenic artist was unexpected.

 

What attracted you to creating scenic art for the theatre?

 

Valeria: In Ancient Greece and in India the music, dance and storytelling were all together. I think that theatre is a great for all the arts to live together. I chose the theatre because I thought if I ever had the chance to be creative I’d want to be somewhere like that.

 

Who have been your sources of inspiration in your career as a visual artist?

 

Valeria: I love all different arts and contemporary artists like the choreographer Akram Khan, I really love his work. If we have to talk about visual art I really admire Marc Chagall and Rodin. The combination of the work of the people I admire is what I’d really like to do.

 

What has been your experience like working as a visual artist in the UK?

 

Valeria: There is a little more chance to be noticed but you have to work really hard.

 

What has been the most gratifying moment of your professional career to date?

 

Valeria: At my final exhibition at RADA, because a lot of professionals came to see our work and I was very happy to hear what they had to say to me. And when the National Theatre called me to work there as a freelance.

 

What was your experience like at the National Theatre?

 

Valeria: To work at the National Theatre is flattering. The head of the National Theatre who worked there for 30 years had so many nice words about my work. I learnt a lot and it’s a very professional atmosphere.

 

What advice would you give emerging and budding artists wanting to pursue a career in the visual arts?

 

Valeria: Take all the negatives as a lesson. Never blame the world. Never blame yourself too much. Never give up if you really believe this is your thing. Try to stay positive in a very honest way and work hard.

 

Tell us about your upcoming projects and commissions….

 

Valeria: I have an upcoming public art commission in West Hampstead and a personal project called Anthropomorphic Water. I love dance, especially contemporary dance because I think true contemporary dance search for the natural movement that we lost. At the same time I love aesthetically and philosophically; water and its movement, so I’m trying to combine that with the dancers shape. I’m working with some dancers and I’m trying to capture their movement with my camera and also with some sketches. With this research of the movement and water material I’ll create some paintings and hopefully a big mural on a wall in Shoreditch but I still need to have some funding.

 

Which funding organisations do you intend to look to?

 

Valeria: Indiegogo and Kickstarter. I’ve just recorded a video for my campaign.

 

To discover more about Valeria visit her website.