Rafael Vindigni

What drives you to create?

I always have a starting point in mind when I begin a piece, but the act of drawing and painting takes me somewhere new — an unexplored space. I begin to rediscover those primordial marks, that intense colour, those tiny points of light that become emotional openings. Finding all of these elements again — albeit in different forms — is what drives me to create, time and time again.

What inspires you?

My creative process starts with image research — sometimes from my personal archive, sometimes from media sources. Quite a bit of time and ongoing searching is needed before something in a photograph sparks my imagination and leads me toward the final work.

How do you bring your works to life?

When I face a blank surface — whether paper or canvas — instinct leads me to start sketching with harder pencils, gradually giving way to the deeper blacks of softer graphite. Each drawing needs detail, achieved through a meticulous process. Before applying a layer of colour — usually oil — I always take a moment to observe the drawing at that stage, knowing that once colour is added, it will never be the same and I won’t be able to go back. The colour I apply often allows glimpses of the original drawing to remain visible, but the overall piece becomes something entirely different — a space where the subjects begin to converse and belong to a new dimension that surrounds them.