“IMAGINATION IS NOT AN EXCUSE. BECAUSE IMAGINING SOMETHING MEANS BUILDING A WORLD, CREATING A WORLD ”

The artist and costumier, TINA CASSATI, creates imagination and inspiration in her work from historical sources, particularly Elizabethan costumes, fairy tales, folklore, and the Renaissance. Inspired by the fusion of philosophy, symbolism, and various rituals from the past and present, Tina Cassati’s work combines the whole with visions of the future.

Among her projects is the series Giardino di Arte a conceptual costume photo project. Here, the costumes of Tina Cassati merge with actual and digital landscapes to create a work of art in terms of transformation. For this purpose, the artist created costumes she only produced for this series, inspired by nature in the course of the four seasons, particularly attracted by gardens, flowers, and plants. Her project Donna di Fantasia features artificially created women in mixed media, photography, digital and paper collage, illustration, etc. The result is beautiful; elaborate works with unique colors and textures that capture and dazzle the eye.

Tell us about the Giardino Di Arte series? I have worked on the project Giardino di Arte (Garden of Art) from 2012 to 2015. That time was a turning point in my career when I experimented with custom design, photography, mixed media, and collage. The project was influenced by a  tragic event in my life. My son died a few years ago, and this project is dedicated to him. It has helped me deal with my grief and to learn to live with the loss. This experience changed my view on many things in life and on my vision of art.

What makes life beautiful? Life is beautiful for me when I am alone and surrounded by nature and feel the wind and the leaves blowing on the trees, or when I can enjoy the sea and feel carried away by the care of life. Life is beautiful for me when I lie in the grass and admire the beauty of flowers and insects, so I like to use this inspiration to design and create my costumes. Life is beautiful when I have the freedom to enjoy the simple things that take away the monotony of everyday life. I can escape finding the tranquility and inspiration to allow me to think and create.

Where do you find your inspiration? To find inspiration, you do not need to travel a lot or go very far. For me, it is impossible to live a single day without inspiration. You need only to open your eyes and absorb things around you with a sense of joy and curiosity. I like to discover new things in everyday life, in literature, in exhibitions, museums, historical buildings, etc. There are so many sources of inspiration that even one lifetime is not enough to discover and experience all of them. For me, one of the most extraordinary influences will always be nature.

What do artists need to succeed in the 21st Century? It depends on what success means to the person. For one person, success means earning substantial money. Others value, virtual success, like achieving “followers” and “likes,” and others are greedy for commissions and contracts. Each artist must be answerable to themselves what makes them happy or what success means to them. For me, it is essential to have enthusiasm and love for your work and have the courage to live life with your own beliefs and visions and not be influenced by what others think of you. It is also important to be true to yourself and to remain open to new things in life and to find satisfaction in what you do and take responsibility for your art. If you can make yourself and others happy, then your work is a success.