Barbara Perga Interview: An Artistic Journey of Self-Discovery
From the serene woods of Val di Lanzo to the sun-soaked beaches of Mexico, Barbara Perga has seamlessly woven art, nature, and culture into a truly unique and inspiring journey. Every brushstroke tells a story, and every adventure leaves its mark.
In this interview, we step into Barbara’s world—a vibrant tapestry of experiences, inspirations, and dreams – that continue to shape her extraordinary artistic journey. Get ready to dive into a captivating narrative where creativity knows no boundaries, and life itself becomes a canvas waiting to be painted.
Hi Barbara, tell us a little about yourself and your life!
I am Barbara Perga, born in the Lanzo valley in the province of Turin. Even as a child, I was curious, creative and a dreamer. I grew up in the woods in contact with nature, observing the passing of the seasons based on the fruits in the vegetation and on the mountain.
I showed my passion for art as a child. At the age of 8 I won a competition at a village festival, the first prize: a prototype of an electric scooter, a rare object at the time.
At the same time, the village painter insisted that I take lessons, my first oil paintings. As I grew up, I discovered that there was a school where one could study art, from high school I began my journey in a concrete way towards my painting career.
In my final year of high school, I began to yearn to travel and realised my dream once again by leaving for the most diverse destinations: from sri lanka to Thailand, Cambodia, Germany, various parts of italy and finally Greece where I spent a summer for love and then ended up working in Canada as an artist in my own right.
After this, I went to university, where I did a short course in industrial design but soon realised that this was not my path. I had to paint, that was my true path.
I started to travel again working as a set designer in Egypt, in the Italian seas and then continued as a snorkelling guide in the Maldives: this world opened the door to new horizons for me.
Here I became a divemaster and this was the title that took me to Mexico to do the same job. Mexico was my home for two years, not only as a snorkelling guide, but as a tourist and painting teacher.
I loved that land like no other. Life brought me back home. After this experience I went back to study; everything, the whole arts, music, painting, writing. I decided to enrol in university to continue cultivating my dream and my career.
For a year now I have officially graduated in fine arts, my degree has definitely made my education fuller and more complete and to date my career one step at a time is making progress. Who knows what awaits me from here… how much more life has to surprise me! 😊
Your passion for art emerged as a child. What were your earliest memories related to painting and how would you describe them today, as an adult and artist?
I have been drawing and painting for as long as I can remember, it has always been a passion for me without the need for doctrine.
I would draw at the most improbable hours following inspiration, sometimes even as late as 10 o’clock at night, for a child, late at night!
Another memory I keep in my heart is the precious help of my parents, who helped me study shapes by filling sheets with hundreds of models of hats, different flowers and fruit, in short, they drew for me giving me the opportunity to observe and memorise, I will always be grateful to them for that!
During your travels, you had the opportunity to explore different cultures and traditions. Which elements of these experiences are most reflected in your artistic works?
Definitely the open-mindedness, the possibility of interpretation ranging from the main meaning of the work that I wanted to express and tell, to the subjective interpretation that allows the viewer to see himself within the work itself.
The beauty of the journey, but above all introspection, reason, the ability to reflect, welcome and include: I believe that this is what my works bring more than anything else, those who look at them have the ability to observe carefully and draw reflections from them.
You have lived in several countries and worked in various fields. How did you manage to reconcile your desire to explore the world with your artistic journey? Did you ever think that these two worlds might be at odds?
Absolutely yes, for a long time I believed that living in a workaholic way was the only way to be able to face the art world and really live it and achieve my goals, but this was a recent thought.
The first solution I found for travelling and continuing to paint was to work in set design, so that I could cultivate my hand and at the same time live on the most beautiful beaches in the world.
Now I continue working on sketches while travelling small distances and with my ever-present sketch book, travel is my main source of inspiration, I take notes, come home, paint in the studio: a dream.
Mexico has had a special place in your life. What made you fall in love with this country and how did it change your approach to painting?
Certainly the culture, the natural approach that they have to heal themselves with the fundamental help of nature, this has given so much to my works, it has meant that within them there is just that: art-therapy, nature and connection with the divine.
You studied visual arts, music and writing; how do you combine these different media in your art? Have you ever thought of creating projects that integrate them all?
I believe that these factors form the basis of contemporaneity, my works are the fruit of all three of these elements put together
The paintings are harmonised in the process, the colour vibrates with the music and is placed in the necessary places to create the magic of the work itself
Each work is accompanied by a reference poem, and I often play ‘to the works themselves’ live music to complete the process, preferably at the last stage, the vernissage.
In your career, nature seems to have been a constant source of inspiration. How do you represent it in your works and which aspects of nature strike you the most?
The natural component varies a lot, from the 4 elements present in almost every work, the slow passing of the seasons, the breath, natural that goes in rhythm with the earth, with the heart.
432hz has been the main beat that has accompanied my creations.
In addition to painting, you also teach art. What is the message you try to convey to your students, and how do you inspire yourself to guide them on their creative path?
The first thing I ask my students is ‘what do you want to learn and be able to do?’
The world is varied and full of stimuli, there is so much to know and learn, and I believe that our limited time should be used to do something that we really like but above all interests us.
This is the fundamental part of my teachings, starting from something that really pleases and stimulates, only in this way can we set off that spark that leads us to have a real motivation towards what we really want, beyond what they tell us to do.
Have you ever had doubts about your artistic journey? If so, how did you overcome them and what were the most decisive moments in your career?
All the time, unfortunately it has been a big bug in my life, which sometimes comes up again….
To answer this question well, I firmly believe that the world of spirituality has given me several good answers, including: it is your destiny.
Various doctrines always say the same thing: your mission is to create art.
Thanks to this admonition, when I feel discouraged, down, ‘failed’, I remember that there is always a way, a road, a way to turn around, to move forward, to start again and to take art and life itself in hand.
As my professor said referring to painting: ‘the canvas can be covered, the mistake can be erased, the painting can be resumed, redrawn, started over, in short, nothing is lost, everything can be remedied.
An episode that opened my eyes in 2016 was a chat with the head animator of the village where I was working at the time: Niccolò Fornasaro.
He told me: “You chose a difficult job because of your physical condition” (I suffered from scoliosis as a child).
Hearing these words I squinted my eyes and thought ‘chosen?!’ In my imagination there had never been a choice, things were just the way they were, my life was dedicated to art, this is what I felt without knowing it
The answers came when I decided to stop with art: I was no longer well, I had to start again with the arts, in 2020 after 4 years of exploring other areas of life and work I started again with art, for me, it was a blessing.
Looking to the future, where do you see yourself in five to ten years, both as an artist and as a person? Do you have any particular dreams or projects that particularly excite you?
I was asked this question 5 years ago.
At that time, I answered that I could see myself talking about hot air in the drawing rooms of Paris with people who share my passion for art.
Well that’s not how it went, so to answer I prefer to say that I don’t expect anything and I prefer to leave the word to my ‘destiny’.
The perfect place will come and the career will build itself, with the right vicissitudes and decisions but in a completely natural way; a beach, a museum, a school… who knows!
To conclude the answer to this question, I would like to say that I am currently working with the bar in the suburban town where I live and at the same time the VS gallery in Brera, on the one hand the satisfaction of the value, of the name, on the other the monetary feedback, the compliments, and the sales one after the other.
In short, I am not yet in Paris, but the life I wanted really deserves to take the place of the dream I am metaphorically creating in a small way, a small realisation of a big dream come true, I am grateful to the life that surprises me and who knows where it will take me next, towards what new horizons, towards what goals and achievements, life, free to surprise me.
Thank you, Barbara!
Barbara Perga’s artistic journey is a testament to the boundless possibilities of creativity and the magic of embracing life’s adventures.
With every brushstroke and every step, she transforms experiences into art, weaving together nature, culture, and emotion to create something truly extraordinary.
Want to dive deeper into Barbara’s world and explore her stunning creations? Follow her here:
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