Paola Milani is the gifted artist behind laika’s water crystals, in this interview we uncover a bit about her and the meaning of her art.
How did you first get in touch with dogstar and what made you become a
collaborator to the label?
I met Masayo when I moved up from Melbourne a few years back. We always had this idea of working together but it was never the right time. I became a visual merchandiser and creative for Perfect Potion. Working with Perfect Potion inspired me to get back into my artwork again. Masayo liked what I was doing and we took it from there.
We have worked together really well.
Can you tell us a bit about the current collaboration?
What I have enjoyed about making art is getting a message out there for people to hear and maybe get inspired by. The current laika range is based on my series of photos and paintings that I have layered with screen prints of water crystal designs that I have hand drawn.
The message behind this series was to hopefully inspire people to see that we have the power to change the world for the better by making our little individual space a better place. We see this happen when water crystals are exposed to positive energy they shine, when they are exposed to negative energy they look dead and seeing we are mostly made up of water…..
What inspires you?
People that are out there trying to change the world for the better, people that are making a conscious effort to do their bit for the planet. Positively, Nature, Clouds, Water. The light before a storm hits. Traditional crafts from indigenous cultures. The water crystal photographs of Dr Masaru Emoto. My beautiful daughter Isabella and husband Marcello.
How do you and Masayo work on a range together?
With the Water Crystal series the designs were taken from my artworks and we just worked the collection around them.
With the next collaboration, we have been working on an idea that we are both passionate about and have this idea in mind when working on our parts. The prints (my part) get done first but the clothing design starts before my designs are fully finished and we communicate all the way through the process until we come up with a final story that works and is beautiful. It’s about creating beautiful art pieces that people can wear.
What medium do you use, does it change depending on the situation or project?
With my own art work I used mixed media, a combination of photographs, painting, drawing and prints. With dogstar I have mainly been doing pencil work or lino cuts.
Will you be collaborating with dogstar in the future?
We are currently working on other collaboration and are very excited by it!
What I like about collaborating with dogstar is that clothing is a beautiful way to produce art. It makes it more accessible to the public and it also make people feel special about wearing it.
A bit about Paola Milani
I studied both Fine Arts and Media Arts at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. I have worked as a visual merchandiser and creative for Perfect Potion for a number of years which I loved before having my daughter. I now do freelance illustration and design work form home as well as working on my art pieces.
One of the best things about the work I do is being able to create a story or visual message. Whether it be an illustration for a client or an art series I am working on, there is always a story behind it. I enjoy creating pieces that will give people inspiration or joy. It’s pretty satisfying when people that have bought my art contact me and tell me how good it makes them feel when they look at it and I love hearing their interpretation on what the art work means to them. Giving others inspiration to create is a wonderful thing.