{"id":3694,"date":"2019-04-24T13:40:03","date_gmt":"2019-04-24T12:40:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/?p=3694"},"modified":"2019-11-13T12:59:41","modified_gmt":"2019-11-13T12:59:41","slug":"emma-allegretti-behind-closed-doors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/emma-allegretti-behind-closed-doors\/","title":{"rendered":"Emma Allegretti: Behind Closed Doors"},"content":{"rendered":"

To kick things off, can you tell the community a little bit about yourself?<\/h3>\n

My name is Emma Allegretti. I’m an illustrator based in Rome, I could eat buffalo mozzarella every day and I do.<\/p>\n

Your illustrations are amazing, when did you first get into drawing?<\/h3>\n

From a very early age, my mother is an art teacher so I literally had no choice.\u00a0The first time I drew one of my girls, or what was to become \u2018my girls\u2019, was three years ago in my diary to go with my thought of the day.<\/p>\n

\"Original
Original artwork by Emma Allegretti<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How has your style developed over time?<\/h3>\n

It has become much cleaner and precise, luckily. I used to draw really wonky depressed women at the beginning on post-it notes at work. I work with much more detail now, taking my time to elaborate on the concepts, use of colour, especially watercolours.<\/p>\n

\"Original
Original artwork by Emma Allegretti<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I’ve made a choice to stick to watercolour rather than digital as it is a fundamental part of my process where I’m not staring at a screen and can rest my eyes and concentrate.<\/p>\n

There should be no shame in having emotions<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Why do you think your work resonates with your audience so well?<\/h3>\n

The pressures surrounding social media has played a pretty big part. There’s a lot of expectation when you’re young and on social media. I had a tough time with these expectations and felt the pressure of only showing the best version of myself on social media.<\/p>\n

\"Original
Original artwork by Emma Allegretti<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I share my perspective with a really honest approach and it’s something I think people look for in my work. But honestly,\u00a0I like to think that the simplicity of it makes it really accessible.<\/p>\n

How has using humour in your work helped with this? Was it always a part of your work?<\/h3>\n

Yes,\u00a0humour has always been central to my work. When you’re speaking about really personal and sensitive subjects, it makes it easier for people to relate to when you add a layer of humour.<\/p>\n

I think I find it comforting to be able to laugh about certain things. It makes things lighter and helps you to process what you are going through, at least for me.<\/p>\n

\"Original
Original artwork by Emma Allegretti<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Female characters feature prominently in your drawings, are they based on people that you\u2019ve met or personal encounters?<\/h3>\n

It’s what I know and what surrounds me and yes, definitely, my work is based on people that I\u2019ve met and one hundred per cent personal encounters. Lol.<\/p>\n

Honesty is what is most relatable<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Original
Original artwork by Emma Allegretti<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Do you hope to erase some of the stigmas attached to speaking openly about insecurities and mental health?<\/h3>\n

Absolutely!! There should be no shame in having emotions, struggling with insecurities and mental health.<\/p>\n

It can be really helpful, when struggling, to see that you are not alone and relate to something. Honesty is also so important and such a wonderful and essential thing.<\/p>\n

\"Original
Original artwork by Emma Allegretti<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You\u2019ve recently launched your second campaign – how does your approach to designing a T-shirt differ from your digital work?<\/h3>\n

I guess my digital work is more impulsive. When thinking about a design to use for a T-shirt I think about something that would make someone feel good, something powerful yet vulnerable; a statement as a T-shirt design. I just love the idea of literally wearing emotions on your sleeve.<\/p>\n

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A post shared by Emma Allegretti\ud83c\udf34 (@allegrettiregretti)<\/a> on