The serigraphy of Sofia Bonelli like a meditative experience

Sofia Bonelli, when fate becomes destiny
Are you interested in the world of art? For many years Sofia didn’t know how to answer precisly to this question. For her, art wasn’t a subject to get involved into; for her, art was (and is) home. It’s the place where she was born, Rome (“Tor Pignattara” neighborhood), where names like Schifano and Fornasetti are just mum and dad’s friends. Sofia then grew up and studied choosing pedagogic science first, but slowly she not just understood she was interested in the world of art: art was the langauge she wanted to speak!

How did you start to be an illustrator?
I admit I didn’t know I wanted to do this job; everything started, like this, by chance: an exam at university; we had to analize some illustrated album for young and adults. An incredible world opened up to me, it was like a thunderbolt. I was so impressed that I thought: I want to do something like that! And this Is what it was. In 2016 I won a scholarship for Minimaster, I moved to Milan and in 2017 I graduated in illustration.

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So, in 3 years you went into practice and today illustrate is your job. How do you promote yourself and how do you find clients?
For sure social and website are important. But for me the real difference was the set up. Here as well fate was a friend. I work since I was 15-years-old and during years I was able to make some money: something like 4 months of autonomy, speaking about rent. I started to look around, dreaming to find a place. Talking with a friend of mine, It came out he had a space that was going to be free in a week; he showed me; I felt in love with it and i took it. And here we are today in the middle of my serigraphy studio. The word-of-mouth advertising did a lot to me.

And how was with serigraphy? How this big love?
Do you know I didn’t know what it was when I saw It the first time? (laughing). I discovered it at master thanks to Elisa Talentino’s workshop (Fate again, and love at first sight). For me serigraphy is a meditative experience. You know, when you do something and you can’t stop thinking about that. It takes you off from all the rest. It makes me feel good. The beauty of serigraphy is that what comes out comes out, and it’s ok. It doesn’t exsist a correct way. Also when I teach it, I always Say:” I do It like that, but for you just do It how it comes out”. For me serigraphy is something intimate, is a proper language, it becomes part of you.

And for your drawings, where do you look for inspiration?
Everywhere! It can arrive from a colour, a concept, but also from a feed on Instagram, simply. It can comes from other images, surely from other artists. I like some artists for how they work with shadows; I can focus on someone just for their usage of colours or stroke. I still got a lot to learn and observe, understand; trying is something I do daily.

2 last fast questions: a dream that still not true?
I dream to do author’s print, but also “leporelli”, little special books.

Can you complete this line? I shine (brillo) when…
I shine when I belive in myself!