Bad Gigi is a local Melbourne artist with a German and Italian background who explores the power of femininity and emotion through her vivid watercolours and erotic figures. We talk to her about her inspiration and motivation.

Lex: Why is it important to you to celebrate the sensuality and strength of women in your art?

Bad Gigi: I think we all need a reminder once in a while to waken our inner rebels, let ourselves free and to be whatever we want to be, not what others want us to be. You are awesome, be your awesome you.

Lex: Why watercolour and ink? Is it the sensual, textural and tangible part of this medium that lends itself erotic, emotive and viscreal expression? 

 

Bad Gigi: I love creating works with contrasts: bold topics and images to visualise incredible strength and big emotions paired with the softness of the watercolour and ink flow to reflect on sensuality and femininity.


Lex: What’s the most sensual and sensory experience of making art for you? 


Bad Gigi: I paint what I feel, it’s a release of emotions. For me it’s almost meditative, I’m not thinking about anything other than what I’m painting, I’m free from judgement, I’m free from expectations and I’m free to be me.


Lex: Where do you take the most pleasure for yourself in your art practice and process? 


Bad Gigi: When I create art, I also create my own world which completely consumes me. I get to make the rules, my art can look whatever I want it to look. It’s a beautiful safe space in my mind, without any judgments. It’s a different kind of freedom.


Lex: How do you navigate the private process of making art, with the public sharing of final pieces as a solo artist? You mentioned that so many of your pieces end up being stashed in a drawer, never to see the light of day. How do you decide what becomes part of an ongoing collection? 


Bad Gigi: I learned that no matter how good your work is, the artist’s eyes are always the most critical. Just create. Create for the bin, keep going. Most of the time I try to have some distance after finishing a piece. I might put them away for a while, and I’ll look at them again later. Perspective can change a lot in a few hours, sometimes days and I might end up loving a piece that I thought I hated right after finishing it.

I really love connecting with others through my art. If a piece doesn’t speak to me at all, then it likely won’t connect with others either. That’s when they stay in a drawer and never get to see the light of day.


Lex: Do you have a favourite piece in your collection? One that’s currently pulling you in that you feel really proud of? 


Bad Gigi: I think my entire first series is something I’m really proud of, the first pieces I published. I created them during the first two lockdowns: A very dark time for me and my mental health and my art helped me create my alter ego “Bad Gigi”. She’s a badass and rebel at heart with a huge appreciation, love and compassion for herself, all things that I really struggled with before.



Lex: As a woman and an artist with many passions, what do you feel is a stigma you’re hell bent on breaking down?


Bad Gigi: I’m determined to break down the stigma that self love and confidence equals arrogance and a big ego. Especially with women, I feel like everyone wants us to be confident and sexy, but when we are, we get judged and are labelled “easy to have'', “cheap” or worse.

If one of my artworks helped even just one person to feel a little bit more empowered, a little more confident or a little more badass, then I’ve achieved everything I wanted through my art.


SENSORY POWER ROUND

Q: Describe yourself in three words.

A: Passionate, creative, strong


Q: Describe your art in three moods.

A: Fearless, sensual, raw


Q: Favourite colour and why? 

A: Black. It has so much depth. It’s powerful, mysterious, bold and very inclusive.


Q: Favourite sound and why?

A: There is nothing more satisfying to me than the sound of opening new paint or ink. It’s the start of a journey.


Q: Favourite texture and why?


A: I’m obsessed with the variety of paper textures. It’s what determines how the paint will move.


Q: Favourite smell and why?


A: That smell when I scroll through an old sketchbook. It reminds me of the smell of old libraries, full of stories and ideas. I love that.



You can see more of Bad Gigi's work HERE or follow her on instagram.