10 Questions with Maximilian Girardi

Maximilian Girardi is a young Italian artist. He is the son of a teacher of literature and art, born in northern Italy but raised in the Tuscan-Romagnolo Apennines surrounded by culture, of food, and cities of art such as Ravenna and Florence.

Girardi loves colorful drawings and solid colors because he thinks they give positive feelings and help him to be happy. His inspirations range from Henri Rousseau to Marco Lodola.
He is also a lover of patterns, which he draws by hand to convey memories and give character to the works.
In this case, the artist thinks that "ha.nds," in addition to aesthetics, can communicate messages, emotions, and memories.
Each design is handmade with a graphic board and an Apple pen.

@ha.nds_artist

INTERVIEW

First of all, introduce yourself to our readers. What is your artistic background, and how did you start experimenting with images?

My name is Maximilian Girardi, and I am a young Italian guy who is passionate about art. I am self-taught; I like to "steal with my eyes" and be inspired by what I see, nature, fashion, and other artists. I started drawing on the graphic board with an Apple pen on the advice of my wife, who, as a graphic designer, immediately liked my drawings. I like to share my handmade drawings on Instagram on my HA.NDS profile.

Why are you an artist, and when did you first become one?

I can consider myself an artist because I can express myself through something as figurative as drawing. I have always been passionate about art, from painting to music, but I never had much time and the right drive to be able to express myself until a few years ago.

How would you define yourself as an artist?

I see myself as an artist because I definitely think of myself as very sensitive to beauty in all its forms, and I draw a lot of energy from it and I focus myself a lot on what colors and patterns convey.

Can you tell us about the process of creating your work?

I start drawing when I am inspired, and I sometimes start from the background (patterns or geometric shapes or colors) and sometimes from the hands. There is no real main element because everything should merge into one colorful work.

You work primarily with digital art, and your main subject is hands. What themes do you pursue, and what messages do you want to convey to the viewers?

The one constant message I want to spread and convey is positivity. I love solid colors that they communicate and the memories they convey to me (for example, the stripes of the "piadine Romagnole" kiosks that I saw every summer since I was a kid, typical of the area where I live). I also like patterns, which I draw by hand to give character to the works. In this case, I think that the "hands", in addition to aesthetics, manage to communicate messages, emotions, and memories.

Do you have a role model that you've drawn inspiration from when creating your art?

I find my inspiration in so many things, fashion, Pop Art, furniture patterns, and many varied artists I respect, such as Marco Lodola, Henri Rousseau, and Olimpia Biasi.

What's the essential element in your art?

Definitely the essential element of my art are the colors and the search for a strong and vibrant aesthetic impact.

You have a collection of NFTs on OpenSea. Do you find that the shift to digital exhibitions and presentations has helped you promote your work?

While I am passionate about museums and art galleries, I am a great believer in the digital revolution because it is available to everyone. OpenSea gives a great opportunity, and the network offers great visibility. I also find the digital showcase of "Arte Laguna World" very interesting. The site offers the possibility to showcase your works online. Of course, I do not deny that I would also like to exhibit physically, perhaps in Paris or New York, cities that I love.

What do you think about the art community and market? And what are, in your opinion, the differences and similarities with the NFT market?

I don't know the art market so well, but I think they are closely related and could find a synergy between them. It would take the selection of the art market and the accessibility of the NFT market.

Finally, any projects you are looking forward to for this year?

Fortunately, I am used to enjoying day by day and not having too much anxiety about experiencing the future, but I am waiting for the outcomes of the famous Venice Arte Laguna Prize, and I would like to be even among the finalists and maybe one day be able to exhibit in Venice.

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