Sofia Paravicini

add: Have you always wanted to be an illustrator? What made you lean towards art?

S: Drawing is a passion that I have had since childhood. Growing up, I thought I could apply it to architecture, but during an experience in a studio in San Francisco I realized that the whole part of the construction processes was not for me. My world was drawing. So I chose to graduate in painting and art history in London and to specialize in editorial illustration here in Milan. After about a year of hard work and a few "no", the first satisfactions and the proposal to illustrate a book arrived. And now here I am.

add: Among the various types of work you carry out, which one do you prefer?

S: The covers of the novels. Like a coat wraps and protects the wearer, telling a taste before even discovering what’s under it, the cover of a book preserves the ending of a story, but at the same time it must guarantee a direct message about its content and nuances. That leaves room for interpretation to the reader. For example, I prefer to read only a few pages of the book before illustrating the cover, to avoid revealing too much and at the same time leaving room for the perception of subjective scenarios.

add: Have you ever created an illustration and recognized it as part of you?

S: To tell the truth, in every illustration I have to find myself, every drawing must represent my vision, obviously always taking into account the client's requests. On the other hand, he doesn't leave my studio [ed: laughs].

add: What are the elements that make your works your personal expression?

S: Beyond the color choices, which see a clear prevalence of desaturated tones and a preference for sage green, in my works I always insert colored spheres and insects, which I like to hide inside the image, like a signature. I also enjoy using out-of-context elements in the illustrations, which are a springboard for the reader's imagination, so that he can experience alternative stories through illustration.