“Sometimes I feel that I see the world from a lucky angle and filter reality through a lens of magic.”
Name
Sirai Bucarelli
Profession
Illustrator and Animator
Website
Where are you from?
I lived in different places, but my heart remains Roman.
Your style in 3 words?
Soft, dreamy and imaginative.
Your weakness? Your strength?
Weakness: Possibly too stubborn to ask for a treasure map. Strength: Always looking on the bright side.
What makes you different?
Not so different overall, yet sometimes I feel that I see the world from a lucky angle and filter reality through a lens of magic.
When did you decide to become an artist?
Being creative comes very naturally to me and it feels like things just fell into place. I tried exploring a scientific path by studying Biology at University. However, as much as I liked learning about the science of life, my love for animation prevailed and led me to where I am now, where I draw for a living.
Do you choose your art form, or does the form choose you?
Mostly, the form chooses me. I imagine my work in motion – there is so much excitement in pressing play and watching my drawings coming to life in an animated flow.
What do you find most fascinating about the creative process?
What I fins most fascinating about the Creative Process: The unpredictability. A bit like the idea of ebb and flow, sometimes, I start working with a very clear vision, while other times, I begin with a small detail that naturally evolves and transforms into something unexpected. I like to see my creations as an ongoing process rather than a finished product. What I found most fascinating about my Work: Creating worlds – The infinite possibility of imagination and boundless creation.
A few words about your favorite creation?
Forever evolving.
What surprised you most about your first art shows?
As an animator, I haven’t had many opportunities for a physical art show, as my work is primarily showcased digitally. However, I’d be very excited, when the day comes, to experience the reactions of the viewers in person and not behind a screen.
Someone else’s work that inspired or inspires you…
So much inspiration in mythology and nature. I find resonance in the work of artists like Via Celamins, lately, I’ve discovered the photographer called Jochen Lempert, love the intimacy and empathy of Rineke Dijkstra portraits, the emotional depth of the animation director Michaël Dudok de Wit, the dreamy atmosphere of the illustrator Maria Medem and Karlotta Freier, and so many more…
Who would you like to work with someday and why?
My sister: we walk through the world and express ourselves in very different ways, yet the themes intertwine and overlap.
A new project coming up or an idea you want to work on?
I’m developing and collecting material for a project that I’m very excited about: It’s an exploration of a pre-apocalyptic story set on a utopian island where feminine figures coexist with nature, potentially having a transformative impact on a collapsing world. My idea draws inspiration from diverse sources, including the myth of ‘cura,’ and the theory suggesting the authorship of the Odyssey by a woman. Through themes of femininity, nature, and transformation, I’d like the story to follow a group of people coming to the island to put an end to life but an unexpected encounter challenges their understanding of the world and convictions, forcing them to reconsider their mission. The medium animation, film, or hybrid of the two, remains open for now.
Finish the sentence ,More important than my career is….
Love (in any shape and form)
2024: Where are we going?
There’s an optimistic anticipation that a beautiful flower will bloom amid the world’s current chaos.
Do you think about time as an artist?
Animation is something very time-consuming, and therefore I think about time all the time when I work. In frame-by-frame animation the more drawings, the more fluid the animation is – Time is a crucial element of the work process and final result.
When the going gets tough…
I like to wander
Put on your future vision glasses: What direction is our generation moving in, what will our world look like in 50 years?
Generally, I find it hard to look into the far future with an optimistic gaze, especially considering the prospect of a progressively automated world and the potentially catastrophic evolution of nature. However, it’s important to look out for stories where individuals work for a brighter future.
What would you do if you could change the World?
Harmonise humans and nature.
What does freedom mean when it comes to art?
Imagination
If the universe is everything and it’s expanding, what is it expanding into?
Silence
Tell us about your future plans…
My comport zone in expressing my imagination is mostly through lines, but I feel it’s time to explore both the inner depths and the outer expanses to uncover what lies within and beyond.
Your city’s favorite spots?
A day in Rome: Coffee and maritozzo or profiterole da Regoli for breakfast, walk down the Parc and time travel in the church S. Clemente, if it’s the weekend stop at the farmers market Col Diretti for some fresh groceries and flowers on your way to some sunbathing on Isola Tiberina, before noon knock at the nuns and visit the Cavallini Affresco’s in the monastery of Santa Cecilia, quick Lunch at Augustarello in Trastevere, stroll through the Botanical garden to the Asian Pavillion, have Ice cream at Otaleg (f in season try chestnut flavour), cross the Tevere river to Testaccio and visit the Cimitero Acattolico, end your day for dinner at Pennestri.
A book that everyone should read…
“The Hunting Gun” by Yasushi Inoue. This is a small book by a Japanese author. The book explores the complexities of human relationships, portraying themes of love, betrayal, and the lasting impact of choices, all conveyed through an intimate exchange of letters between three interconnected characters.
Last but not least: what is your favorite Song?
Too many!! But since I’m listening to it right now, today I’ll say:
Nina Simone – Stars / Feelings (Medley / Live at Montreux, 1976) in particular at
6:40min
One last statement please: „Wood or stone, gold or art?”
Liquid gold
Your #…?
