Most recently, Devakrishna Marco Giollo won second prize in the painting category at the Kunst Forum International, Swiss Art Contest 2013. His work was featured in an exhibition in Meisterschwanden along with works from winners in other categories.
From a very young age Giollo realised that he loved to draw but when embarking on his professional career he chose to attend architect school, but the experience did not go to plan. As he recalls, "I soon realised that all the technical data I had to study was not my calling and so I immediately changed to the nearby art school of CSIA in Lugano". For him the most enjoyable aspect of being a professional artist is the opportunity to be creative and to produce something beautiful.
However, just as writer's face writer's block artists also run up against hurdles. "The worst thing is when I feel stuck, when the energy is not flowing and inspiration is missing," he explains. "Then I would rather stop and feel what is happening inside me and accept the situation. At this point I don't paint, but just wait until the clouds of my mind disperse and the next wave of inspiration comes".
Regarding artistic styles in general he expresses great admiration for figurative art, portraits, bodies and similar approaches as he believes that they require a lot of knowledge and technique. However, he has a preference for abstract paintings because for him "it always brings me into an unknown space, not knowing where it leads and at the same time still taking care of harmony in compositions of forms and colours". Giollo has positive words of encouragement for those of us wondering if it is possible to learn to become an artist or whether it is a talent that one has to be born with. "It is a mix of both. Everybody is an artist in a way or in another depending in which area, dance music or painting or cooking or even gardening," he says. "As a child we all painted somehow; it is an interest that everybody is born with. One must trust himself although at the same time it is good to learn techniques and to practice".
The multi-talented Giollo is also an author, editor and illustrator of a colour graphic novel entitled The Mystic Rose and the Magic of the Empty Chair. Speaking from personal experience of working with him on my children's books, he brings a clever sense of humour to drawing. He provided the illustrations for my book A First Guide to Space Creatures, and they were central to the prizes it won in the UK's Wishing Shelf Independent Book Awards and the US Reader Views Literary Awards. Most recently he illustrated my children's book Curiosity the Giant, which has been translated into French, German and Spanish.
For more information on Devakrishna Marco Giollo's art please visit: www.giollo.com
