One Day : Carla Freschi - Textile Artist
Location : Bueno Aires, Argentina
Profession / passion : Textile Artist
Website : www.carlafreschi.art
Instagram : @bycarlafreschi
One Day is an ongoing project sparked by the Covid-19. In the days of isolation we would like to focus on what we do best; bringing people together. Read more about the project here.
We will be posting one new day of someones life every day until we run out of contributors. See our instagram stories to experience these peoples One Day in action.
A text, song or film that everyone should experience.
The movie “Life of Pi”. It is actually a philosophical novel written by Yann Martel.
What is the story behind your profession/ passion?
My first art teacher was called Sonia. She gave me two books, which I still treasure: “Linnea in Monet’s garden” and “Looking at paintings”. Those books shaped my life so much that everytime they asked me what did I want to be when I grew up, I said “Painter”. I stopped drawing on my teenage years and when I grew up I ended up studying Fashion Design but I guess the little artist inside of me found a way to join what I have always loved, Art, and what I know how to do (textiles & design).
How do you want people to react to your work /passion?
Most people say my work brings calmness and that’s exactly how I want them to feel. There is something implicit on embroidery’s narrative that makes people slow down for a moment. I also like when the viewer takes ownership of a piece and finds shapes and a different appreciation from what I see, leading to a new space that is safe and comfortable for conversation.
How has the current situation affected how you work?
Confinement has given me TIME. Time to think, research, write down my thoughts and experiment on other aspects related to my work, which is hard when we live on a fast-paced environment. I wanted to work on new series and textures for a long time so I was looking forward to an introspective time off: to me, the beginning of a creative process is an act of intimacy. Funny thing was that when it actually happened I was creatively blocked. It took me a couple of weeks to adjust mentally but after that, everything flowed naturally.
Your greatest achievement?
Becoming a full time artist. It is still hard to call myself ”an artist”.
Define what beauty means to you.
I learned about the japanese concept wabi-sabi and understood that beauty is about imperfection, modesty and humbleness. Beauty is in the unconventional.
Analog or digital?
Analog but we all depend on digital now, don’t we?
Describe a smell that brings back memories to you.
Sunscreen - summer sunsets by the sea and beautiful company.
Your best trait?
Transparency.
What traits do you treasure in other people?
Altruism, sense of humor.
Your most treasured possession?
My childhood books mentioned before: “Linnea in Monet's garden” by Christina Björk and “Looking at paintings” by Frances Kennet.
What was the most defining moment in your life?
When I moved to Australia in 2016. It wasn’t defining for the fact of moving there but everything that decision awoke inside of me: jumping into the unknown, overcoming my fears, realising how independent, strong and resilient I was and figuring out what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
How was your spiritual and religious upbringing and how did it shape you?
Im a Catholic by birth and attended a religious school. After private education l studied at a public university and got to meet people from different backgrounds. Coming out of the bubble simply blew my mind. Now I’m more spiritual than religious and I trust the Universe. I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and if you trust the Universe enough, it will make sure that everything turns out ok no matter what, rather than just praying. Learning to trust helped me thorugh tough moments in my life and actually worked.
Quality or quantity?
Quality. Given the handmade nature of the process, embroidery is slow and unique.
When was the last time you learned something new and what was it?
I took wood sculpting lessons last year and I loved it. Exploring new mediums and experimenting with natural materials taught me a lot more about mother nature.
Have you actively chosen to live in the city/town you live in?
I came to Buenos Aires on a holiday mode last year and ended up deciding I wanted to stay. I was ready to move back to Europe when Covid showed up. I love my country but we are going through some complex sociopolitical issues that makes it difficult to grow as an artist.
How do you relax?
I bike a lot and I love spending quality time with my loved ones. We are still under confinement in Buenos Aires, so we play online boardgames such as Pictionary or Bingo with my extended family every Sunday evening. Sounds silly but it is actually fun and we get to stay together during these hard times.
If you were forced to sit still for one month straight without pursuing your current prefession, how would you spend your time?
I would spend my time writing. A novel, probably.
What does freedom mean to you?
Being genuinely happy.
Should calm come from within or be facilitated by the enviroment?
It should be a balance between the two of them. I think that what surrounds us (nature, the friendships we choose, family, etc) shape us internally, becoming as important as what’s inside of us. Our internal construction is influenced by external stimuli and viceversa. They are both equally important.
Lastly, how do wish to see this current situation have a positive impact on our lives?
I hope people change daily habits in terms of climate change by recycling or becoming conscious consumers that are aware of the impact we have on Earth, to name a few. On the social side, I hope people slow down a little bit from now on and most importantly, be grateful and live the present. In the future we’ll see this pandemic as a healing process and I’m sure great things will come out of it.