This week on the podcast I chat to artist Karenina Fabrizzi directly from her studio in Barcelona! We chat about her life as a professional artist and how her practice has evolved over the years and why she always like to stay open to new challenges and experiences.

We discuss the artists who have made the most impact on her, from working alongside American Pop artist Jeff Koons in his studio to her love of the work of troubled Austrian artist Egon Schiele and her ongoing quest to capture the elusive traits of Irish -born artist Francis Bacon in her work! She describes how she uses unexpected subject matter, layering of colour, textures and the materials to reference different aspects of human nature.

Dripping Flowers and Pink Ensemble mixed media layered paintings by Karenina Fabrizzi

The Body As A Container “The Mask” and The Body As A Container ” Pride”

She talks about how it’s vital for an artist develop their unique voice and be clear on the message they want to put across with their work and the responsibility she feels towards every project and client, ensuring professionalism in every aspect of her work.

Karenina working on layers on a commissioned canvas

Environment and context affect how an artist works and she has recently moved studio to one in the arts quarter of the city where her studio is just below her apartment.

Karenina is a prolific artist who doesn’t shy away from a challenge. From paintings to murals to original paintings on furniture, we discuss the notoriously tricky commissioning process – whether it’s a curse or a blessing from the perspective of the artist and the importance of a good brief in making or breaking the success of a project.

You can see more of her work in our Art Room here.

Karenina’s apartment in the city above her studio

One of Karenina’s work zones in her studio