Today, I’m really pleased to interview Spanish Artist Margharet Manzano.

Margharet Manzano Interview: The Art of elegant Abstraction

Please tell us a bit about yourself and your universe?

I live in Barcelona.  I was born unrelentingly creative: normality doesn’t apply to my day to day life, every event is transformed into a creative act. No two days are the same, whatever I do. Experiencing, creating and believing in the importance of innovation is one of my personal hallmarks.

At age 15 I attended the  Creative Arts School (Escuela de Artes y Oficios)  in Barcelona. As a child, I was known for my abilities in sculpture and clay modeling, and I won a few awards, so I decided to commit myself to Art. After that came my more formal training, the one your family always says “will earn you your living”, “these aren’t good times for art”, they said.

Recently, I decided to make art for a living. It was at this time that I set up my studio in Barcelona. The Mediterranean shore and it’s wavy movements inspire my compositions. The ceiling is so high that ideas can fly and soar. This bit of space is magic, and it is splattered in all canvases.  Inspiration vibrates in the air.

Were you always interested in art growing up? How did you come to art?

Art has been always a part of my life. Every time I visited an art museum, I looked very closely, like I was trying to go inside the art piece. As if I was trying to find out what was the artist’s intention or his expression once the work was done. I’m honored and lucky to be that artist nowadays.

 Where do you derive your influence? Do you have a favorite place or technique that helps you find inspiration?

Onyriks, my latest collection,  transmits elegance, beauty, and serenity. The viewer is meant to experience feelings that will elevate his or her soul. When I’m painting, I imagine my art piece finished and hanging on a large space with a nice view to the sea.

Fabergé’s eggs, those elegant and golden objects were the inspiration for this collection. The artist honored detailing and delicacy which later made those famous eggs so fancy.

Might you explain us your painting technics which seems very particular?

I love to see how the golden tones embrace other colors.  Everything is intertwined, combined, merged. Colors with personality that converge with other colors in sensual and curvy movements, to create something completely new. Crossroads that explode in front of the viewer’s eyes. There is no paintbrush in Oniriks. Only hands that go through paths and are eventually joined by sticks and needles, to play with texture and dimensions. To go from macro to micro. Little things that make a luxury world of difference.

My work is based upon four fundamental pillars:

ONIRIKS ART : These are works which are uniquely fantastical, generally in larger sizes designed to elevate us to another mental plane, leading to more pleasant sensations. They tend to represent feelings, moods, dreams and help lift our spirits.  I use 5 different tons of gold paint and one of these is 24 karats gold dissolved. My works are very meticulous and all details are made with a small 0.25 mm diameter needle. The forms I draw are not casual, and it’s a hard work to make a great format.

EXISTENTIAL ART:  This is inspired by reality, social problems, terrifying news. Everything that surrounds us is captured in an artistic way. It normally involves various techniques and works leading to an art piece that encompasses an analysis of the situation.

EXPERIMENTAL ART:  The work consists of materials and techniques that aren’t generally used. Experimenting and creating with new materials along with the thrill of achieving new and different results from the norm.

DELICATESSEN COLLECTION: These pieces are practically impossible to duplicate because of the way they are made. I love clay, working without firing, without enamel and with shapes that don’t fit moulds or ovens. Little works of art which fit perfectly within a defined framework. These pieces take on shapes that are guided by the material they are made of.  Also in this collection are paper based works with shapes, sizes, and  textures that cannot be reproduced because the materials are made by hand in my studio. Many works of this collection are inspired  by the energy of hugs.

How has your style changed over the years? If yes, could you explain why?

I believe that I have changed since the conceptualism to the total abstraction.  I think that the abstraction is the perfect base to the expression of sentiments and feelings.  What is represented in this artwork ? Beauty , fear, joy or passion but all in their purest forms. This is the power of total abstraction.  I have changed because all artists walk to freedom, and total abstraction is the purest expression of freedom in art.

What are you currently working on? 

On a big piece of the Oniriks collection (300x200cm) and on my first book.

What is your dream project?

To exhibit one of my artworks at the MoMA.

Is artistic life lonely? What do you do to counteract it?

I think that normally artists love lonely life, and so, it is not a problem. It is very important that the artist’s family understands that the process of creation and reflection require some personal space. I have been very lucky as my family understands all this process.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

There will always be someone who likes your work, and someone who does not like it. That’s not important. What really matters is that your work is always your own work and it reveals your soul.

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If you like Margharet Manzano and want to discover her universe, I invite you to visit her website: www.margharet.com

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