An Italian artist has been making watercolour paintings with a topical twist.
Creative director Marta Grossi was inspired to start a new project involving a household feature that’s seen a lot of action over recent months – a sink.
After unexpectedly going into coronavirus lockdown in Milan, Marta found she only had some clothes and a set of pocket watercolours with her.
Without any paper at her disposal, she decided to get creative with aforementioned bathroom sink.
Marta tells Metro.co.uk: ‘I realised how many times I heard the phrase “wash your hands.”
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‘I began to detest the sink because it had become a mechanical action and underlined the fear and anxiety rapidly growing everywhere.
‘The sink quickly became my temporary canvas – unexpected and very complicated.
‘It’s definitely one of the most changeable supports I’ve ever painted on.’
Marta’s watercolour paintings drew on the past nine years that the artist has spent living in Hong Kong, as well as Asia in general.
The beautiful pieces have featured pandas, swans, butterflies, jellyfish, flowers and more – all designed to offer an escape to the natural world during quarantine.
Marta says her works embody themes of human emotions, nature, botany, music and daily life.
She adds: ‘I am very attached to the first one I did, the cherry blossom flowers, because while I was painting it, I was aware that I was beginning a new story and a new temporary artistic project.
‘I try not to be too selective with my works, but each of them represents a state of mind and a precise day of my quarantine.’
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Usually the pieces take Marta a few hours to complete. But, with the canvas being a sink, the paintings have an extremely short life.
Marta only keeps her artworks for 24 hours maximum, a factor that makes them extra special.
She says: ‘The water element that dissolves the work in the sink is substantial.
‘Not only does it transform the image and give it a unique context, but it simply makes it temporary and ephemeral.
‘The temporary nature of something leads us to appreciate its content more – to enjoy every single moment and to fully live the present.
‘I find this process therapeutic, a flow that helps to let go of things that are not essential in life.’
Thankfully, her unique portfolio is well-documented on her Instagram page.
Marta hopes to make an exhibition of her Wash Your Hands series in future, so that she can share her story and quarantine experience with others.
She adds: ‘We all went through this exceptional time in history and a message of positivity and resilience is essential to move forward.’
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