There’s a certain cheekiness to Irene Raspollini’s portraits that’s well-intended. A self-taught illustrator and painter, her characters (mostly female, sometimes male) are heavily blushed, their rosy cheeks complimenting their bright pastel colors.
“As a self-taught artist, my practice evolved a bit randomly at the beginning,” acknowledged the Italian illustrator in a piece published on Artsy Shark. “As soon as I decided to take my art more seriously, I worked systematically to improve my skills, and above all to find my own style and narrative.”
But like most creatives, Raspollini’s introduction to art was much earlier. “As long as I can remember, painting and drawing have been two constant elements in my life,” she recalled. “These talents are a family thing and I was lucky enough to have been always encouraged by my fiancé, my parents, and my friends to improve my artistic abilities and express myself through art.”
Inspired and influenced by pop culture and kitsch, her techniques are varied and include acrylics, watercolors, and tile mosaics. Most recently, she’s also introduced augmented reality to her work. “Thanks to an app for mobile devices, it is possible to make paintings appear to come alive,” Raspollini explained. “I’m pretty sure that this technology will be used more in the art world in the near future,” she ventured a guess.
With her work creating a small buzz online and exhibited around the world in countries like Italy, the UK, Mexico, China, Russia, and the US, this is only the beginning for Raspollini. Take note.
