Sunday Circle | January 2013000

INTERVIEW INTERVIEW

January 2013 | Sunday Circle 000

MirrorWITh a poRTRaIT of ThE popE aNd a dEbuT ExhIbITIoN IN MExIco, 2012 has bEEN aN IMpoRTaNT yEaR foR aRTIsT phIlIppa bIaNchI.

shE spEaks To kaTRyNa sToRacE abouT hER NEW lIfE IN MExIco, uNdERTakINg coMMIssIoNs aNd ThE INs aNd ouTs of poRTRaITuRE

Photography by Steve Muliett -§- Art Direction by John MizziMake-up by Chantal Busuttil - www.cbmakeupandsfx.com

Styling by Luke Engerer -§- Location: Casa Rocca Piccola, Valletta

Clothing: Richard Buhagiar BoutiqueValletta

Her subtle brushstrokes and mastering of light and shadow interact in a unique poetry upon her canvasses. Her subjects are animated,

communicating silently as they gaze out from their frames, as if to say, “here I am – look at me”.

Having trained at the prestigious Central St Martin’s College, London, followed by an intense stint of technical training in Florence, Philippa Bianchi has carved her way into Malta’s circle of artistic elite. Working mainly as a painter of portraits, she has depicted some of the country’s most prominent figures, including her uncle, the Marquis Nicholas De Piro and Archbishop Paul Cremona. Her commissions, however, extend beyond our shores, and over the years she has amassed an admirable portfolio of portraits of some of the world’s rich and powerful.

Philippa’s artistic training means that she has lived in a number of countries over the years, from the UK to Italy and the US. Having lived in so many different

places, is her work influenced by her surroundings? “As an artist, I am absolutely and totally influenced by the place I’m in,” she says. “When I was a student in London, the emphasis at art college was on innovation. In Florence they taught us about the duty of being an artist and of serving art and understanding technique formed through light and shadow. You had to learn how to use your eyes to see. It was a different way of seeing…”

Following her marriage to Jeffrey Szeszko – who is part American, part Mexican - Philippa moved to Mexico, where she has recently debuted her work in her first solo exhibition in the country. “It’s important to be on a different platform and to put your work under different exposures,” she says. “I’ve been very fortunate to meet some incredible people along the way. People like Monsignor Christophe Pierre and Dr Luis Tellez Kuenzler have been very good to me – I am very grateful for their belief in my work.”

of Nature

Sunday Circle | January 2013000

INTERVIEW

he exhibition, she tells me, included a collection of works produced while she was living in Mexico. This, she points out, is quite vital, as she feels as though living in Mexico has worked a particular charm upon her. “I feel I’m coming out of my shell… In Mexico, I’m using pattern a lot more, and I’m starting to see the power of colour and to be influenced by the colour around me. My canvasses have become bigger and bolder, and I’m a lot less shy.”

Philippa paints from life, which means that she flies out to visit her clients whenever she receives a commission. Painting from life, she says, is “absolutely essential” to her as an artist. “I usually undertake two days of sittings and then take material back home to continue working from there. Those initial sittings are the most important.”

I wonder whether she associates any feelings of anxiety with the moment of carrying out a commission. She smiles in her gentle manner and, for an instant, looks quizzical. “We have to allow ourselves to be completely moved by what we see and do,” she says. “Maria Callas says, about being an artist, that the work ‘envelops you into such a state of perpetual anxiety and torture... but it is first of all the first duty of artists…’” This, she explains, sums up her emotion when carrying out a commission.

We have to allow ourselves to be completely

moved by what we see and do...

Maria Callas says, about being an artist, that the work “envelops you into such a state of perpetual anxiety and torture... but

it is first of all the first duty of artists…”

Sunday Circle | January 2013000

INTERVIEW

Besides her recent exhibition, Philippa also undertook a memorable portrait of his Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, which was unveiled during his visit to Mexico and which also hung [insert detail]. “The Pope was coming to Mexico and I painted his portrait in anticipation of his visit,” she says. “What was most nerve-racking was the actual presentation in March last year. It’s nerve-racking to know what the Pope and his Seguido thought of the work… But it is quite a privilege to have such a prestigious audience.”

What is her main concern when painting a portrait – is she after a true likeness of the sitter or will it always be an “interpretation” of her subject? Philippa doesn’t hesitate. “Ultimately, the aim of any portrait is to depict with accuracy the essence of the character of the subject. It doesn’t have to be figurative – this is the way I express it myself. But without character and emotion it’s just descriptive.”

Although, very often, Philippa will spend little more than a couple of days with her subject, she assures me that that is enough to form an impression of his or her character. “There is something conveyed about someone’s character even by having one conversation with them,” she says. “First impressions are a lot more important than we think.

Paitings: Pope Benedict XVI | Marquis Nicholas De Piro

Ultimately, the aim of any portraitis to depict with accuracy

the essence of the character of the subject

Clothing: French Connection

Sunday Circle | January 2013000

INTERVIEW

After all, a painting is about a first impression.” She confesses that she likes to have access to and rummage through their houses before starting the commission. This gives her a more intimate feel for the person, and their character can be seen through the choices they have made in their homes.

Ultimately, she admits, a portrait is in fact a representation. Receiving a commission means that the client wants your representation of themselves, over someone else’s. “On the whole, I feel totally entrusted with how to portray my clients, in terms of the colour, pose, composition… It is the overall emotion that is the most important. That cannot be changed.” This, she feels, is what makes the painted portrait so different to the photo portrait.

Philippa very much enjoys the interaction with her clients. “They are a constant source of inspiration and are constantly teaching me new things,” she says.

Are there any particular people she would particularly wish to paint? “Certainly IMF managing director Christine Lagarde and Russian Soprano Ana Netrebko. I suppose it’s about what they stand for, what they represent rather than their individual characters… I am quite intrigued by women in their professions. It’s is the larger representation that motivates and excites me about these two female subjects.”

Philippa seems to have struck that wonderful balance between work and what she loves. She assures me that they are one and the same. “I do it for the love of the work – and I get to meet some extraordinary people along the way.”

Philippabianchi.com

Paitings: Madame Brigette Hottinguer | Princess Adelheid von Liechtenstein | H.E. Mark Anthony Micallef

Clothing: French Connection