Today we’d like to introduce you to Giulia Livi.
Giulia, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My exposure to contemporary art was self-guided, but after studying painting and art history in college, I was hooked. I was excited about what painting could do. My first job was with the City of Philadelphia Murals Arts Program, which helped me to discover scale and community engagement. Wanting to develop my own voice further, I moved to Baltimore to attend the Mount Royal School at MICA and pursue an MFA.
Since then, my practice has developed into a completely multidisciplinary one. I create immersive rooms and sculptural wall pieces that employ hyper-cohesive color and abstract forms to work out ideas of multi-functional art objects and curated domesticity. Hovering in a space of nostalgia and dystopia, these objects address how design is linked to material sensibility and social trends. My studio space is in the Crown Industrial Park, where I work alongside two other talented makers, Pete Cullen and Christopher Batten. They keep me motivated even in the busiest of times.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Making the work has always been pretty smooth. I’m always getting excited about new materials and techniques. But the life of an artist has its challenges in terms of navigating the job market and supporting your personal practice simultaneously.
I have been very fortunate to work primarily in art-related settings since finishing school, teaching first at St Mary’s College of Maryland before my current faculty positions at MICA and Pratt Institute (I will also say a genuine passion for higher education is also a blessing). Alongside teaching, I have worked part-time in museums, galleries, and non-profit community art centers. I’ve done freelance murals and made large-scale work for the corporate sector. I’ve been a studio assistant to other artists and a camp counselor. Some experiences were amazing; some were really difficult. But the greatest struggle has always been the hustle to piece together opportunity and income in a way that pays the bills and leaves space for studio time.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My practice is currently a study of form and material relating to design ideologies. I am interested in how we relate to utilitarian and aesthetic objects in domestic settings and how color/texture play a role in consumption. I come from an overly curated home space where object history outweighs function, which I think is so related to how artwork functions in private collections.
My materials are tied to the domestic – paint, fibers, tiles, foam. I love to play with color and texture in a way that distorts our understanding of soft versus hard. I hope for my objects to be subtle and intensely inviting, like a noisy, plastic-covered couch.
Homes are meant to be a sanctuary, and yet we fill them with the latest trend. But the latest trend is beautiful, and we want it in our lives. So, let’s live with it, let’s look at it, and use it.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out.
My advice is to keep working. There is something fabulous about how artists keep tooling away in their studios no matter what. Engage with other makers of all disciplines and try to find that perfect balance of work and play. Honestly, I try to be physically and mentally exhausted every day, and in that way, I feel accomplished.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.giuliapieralivi.com
- Instagram: @giuliapiera
