Joya: AiR / Chiara Leto / ITA

“During my stay at Joya: AiR I decided I wanted to spend a fortnight away from civilisation and from all those distractions that can interfere with one's thoughts. This to me felt like a real privilege.

Throughout this time my intention was to keep an open attitude, refraining from approaching my work with a preconceived goal in mind. For logistical reasons but also to allow myself to think differently about my practice, I arrived with very little material and equipment. This forced me to move differently. I would usually forage from the landscape to create colours and dyes, but this time, influenced by the landscape, I was drawn towards the use of pigments from the earth and the nearby dried-out river bed along which I walked for hours.

It was the landscape to dictate my steps. 

I left Joya: AiR with very fond memories of all the people I was so lucky to encounter and a collection of pigments which I soon intend to use in a painting which will capture the essence of this magical part of the world”.

Chiara Leto