The Brazilian Geovana Cléa is one of the highlights of the 61st edition of the Salone del Mobile in Milana fair that is an international reference in furniture and design and which takes place from April 18 to 23, 2023 in the Italian city.
Born in the municipality of Inhapi, in Alagoas, the plastic artist prints memories of her early life in the backlands of Alagoas in her works. With paints made by her, Geovana creates art from liquid metals, acrylics, resin, gold and powdered Swarovski crystals.
O The main process of his work is his dedication to studies of the natural effects of the earth and the recreation of colors and effects of tree trunks, earth and water.
“The essence of a country woman pushes me to look at the simplicity of life, I have this very strong connection with nature, I had a free childhood: I climbed trees, bathed in the river, appreciated the cacti, the stones and the red clay from my backlands”, says the artist, who has lived in Italy for over 20 years.
“Nowadays, even though I don’t have my land nearby, I manage to find it again when I explore the natural world, this has inevitably become the center of my work. Through nature I manage to soften the longing for the place I belong, this for me is like a loving gift from God, and I tell this story through the colors in each work I do”, he describes about the inspiration of his work.
“Everything that is part of nature is sacred to me, which is why preserving the planet is a flag that I raise through my artistic work.”
Geovana Cléa, plastic artist
A until was present in the life of Alagoas since childhood. First, through music, as she loved to compose and improvise melodies as a child. At the age of 18, she left the backlands of Alagoas to venture to Florence, an Italian city where art is breathed. There, she discovered the beauty of pictorial art or plastic arts, as it is better known in Brazil.
The following year, he began to have his first experiences with paints, after receiving two blank canvases and a wooden box with different oil colors as a gift.
The natural effects of the earth as art
It was by observing nature that Geovana found her place in the visual arts. From memories of the backlands of Alagoas to rescuing her roots when she came across the green spaces in her current home, she understood that it was there that inspiration was presented in its purest form.
“I couldn’t explain with words the feeling of well-being I feel when I’m in the middle of nature, the connection with the divine is inexplicable. In Milan it is not easy to have human contact. In addition to the harsh winter not helping, everyone is always very attached to their own work, to schedules… As an artist, I spend a lot of time alone, so I fill myself with these natural beauties and then transmit these emotions to my work.”
61st Milan Furniture Fair
In his 4th participation in the Milan Furniture Fair, Geovana Cléa signs works inspired by volcanoes, forests at night and the effect of rain on rocks. There are also works that represent Brazilian agates and the sea of Portofino.
Geovana’s participation in the most important event in the sector takes place in partnership with the luxury furniture brand Giorgio Collectiona company with which he has collaborated since 2020. The brand is over 60 years old and has more than 50 stores around the world, including Harrods in London and Casa Ricca in Moscow.
In addition to the partnership with the furniture brand, Geovana has been working with Swarovski since 2014. “At the time I was creating the collection Stardust [poeira estelar, em português]who talked about the waters of the Trebbia River and its white quartz”, the focus on water was the initial basis of the partnership, which today results in works made with powdered crystals, reminiscent of grains of sand.
Until then, Geovana had never had the opportunity to hold a solo exhibition in Brazil, but she took part in a group show at Galeria Gamma, in Maceió.
In addition to collaborations and exhibitions, the Brazilian artist is also responsible today for Emotions of the World (EOTW) Galleryspace in Milan, a project that was born with the focus of helping artists to exhibit and enter the international art market.
“It was created in 2008, a year of great crisis in which several galleries closed their doors, including the one that represented me in Milan, with more than 50 years of activity. From that, I thought of doing something that would allow both me and other colleagues to continue doing their own work. Art cannot stop”, he concludes.