Laura Peretti
Laura Peretti is a graphic artist, painter and illustrator from Buenos Aires, Argentina, currently living in New York City. where she works in editorial, textile illustration and art production.
Her work goes from paintings on wood panels, to digital media, using color and shapes to find balance and a natural flow while crafting fluid illustrations that show strength in a provocative and alluring way.
For her, stories have a life of their own. Her work is based on the atmosphere of a moment, its intimacy and the secrets behind it.
She silently intrudes into different private scenes of ongoing stories, inviting you to come along as a silent spectator.
Could you tell us more about your background and how you began creating art?
I’ve been painting since I was a kid. But I’ve begun my professional career as a visual artist after getting my Graphic Design degree in Buenos Aires.
I wanted to focus on illustration and painting, but in Argentina the industry was just starting, so I found a way through the fashion industry, working on art and graphics for textiles. Drawing patterns was what I enjoyed the most, that’s when I started thinking in terms of shapes, colors and balance.
After a few years in the industry I decided to pursue an MFA in Illustration and I moved to NYC to study at School of Visual Arts where I got my master’s degree. Since then I’ve been focused on my personal artwork as well as illustrations for editorials. Currently I'm working on a series of paintings depicting women in the shadows.
What does your art aim to say to its viewers?
My work explores moments of intimacy and connection. I want my art to invite people to connect with their senses and make them feel part of the scene.
Using the shapes of the human body, its flowy lines and intersections I aim to create an alluring visual language that will make people wonder about what’s happening.
To awaken this feeling I work with cropped images that will make the viewer feel closer to the scene, suggesting shapes but not showing every detail, adding textures to emphasize the sense of touch, and melting shapes to create a whole.
Can you tell us about the process of creating your work? What is your daily routine when working?
My work process always starts with writing. Usually I hear or see something that triggers an idea, and the first thing I do is to grab my notebook and write.
Everything that comes to my mind, words, visuals, short phrases. It helps me understand what I want to convey and the direction of the project.
I work a lot on my sketches, I like to start my artwork on paper, working with ink and pencils, layering colors to create texture and new shades.
These drawings often end up being an almost finished piece. But working on them is a moment I take to play around with materials, textures and get those beautiful “mistakes” that create something unexpected.
I often pause and let them sit for a while. To get a fresh view the following day.
That’s when the fun part starts, whether it’s scanning my work to keep on working digitally or getting all the materials ready to start working on my wood panels. Always music in the background. And long hours of painting, I find it to be relaxing.
What is the essential element in your art?
The essential element in my art is flow. When I work, I look for connections; shapes, colors and lines that connect and melt to create rhythm.
I think about it as a dance, where the lines lead and the brush follows.
My goal is to emphasize that natural flow, connecting shapes to create movement and using color to maintain balance.
In your opinion, what role does the artist have in society?
Every artist plays a different role in society. But all artists create and preserve an open space for questioning.
It can be questioning society, questioning yourself, questioning the expression itself.
But art, and the artist behind it, will always awake something in the viewer.
In times where everything is one click away, and our attention span decreases every second, the role of an artist is essential to make people pause and reconnect with their emotions, thoughts and dreams. All in all, art keeps our inner selves away from getting numb.
