Artist Spotlight: Carmen Colibazzi
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
By Max Pearson
Carmen Colibazzi (she/her) is an artist from Rome, Italy. She holds a Fine Arts diploma from the Accademia di Belle Arti, specializing in performance and textile art. She attended the Kunstschule in Basel, Switzerland, and has had her work presented in Belgrade, Istanbul, and the Castello di Rivoli in Turin. She is currently seeking her master's in art education at CCNY and works as a teaching artist and art educator.
Carmen is interested in combining thread with drawing, exploring, in her words, "materiality, gesture and narrative." She is currently working on exploring the "intimate inner experience of objects," explored through "interviews" with her drawings. In this interview, she elaborates on her processes and experiences.
MP: What initially drew you to art? How has your artistic journey (mediums, themes and/or processes) evolved over the years, and throughout your many experiences?
CC: I began engaging seriously with art during an exchange year in Switzerland, where I was welcomed into an artist family. They awakened something that had always been there, quietly waiting.
At first, art was a refuge—a way of processing difficult moments. Over time, it expanded beyond necessity, becoming a constant presence in my daily life, a language through which I understand and move through the world.
My practice unfolds across drawing, textiles and everyday objects. The mediums remain; what evolves is my awareness, and the way they come into balance within the work.
MP: Where do you gather your inspiration? What draws you to "interview" any certain object?
CC: My inspiration emerges from everyday life and the silent poetry I find within it. It can be a falling leaf, a tangle of roots, a key that protects a secret, or a comb that feels like a weapon—or a way of combing through thoughts. I am drawn to the emotional resonance of these objects, the memories they carry, and their anthropological meanings.
The process remains, in a way, mysterious and unspoken. Sewing and drawing become my physical way of inhabiting these objects and their poetry, as well as a means to process and elaborate them.
MP: Many of your works seem to involve deconstruction — a broken chair, a ripped envelope, or snarled thread. What is your process in choosing where, why and how to "destroy" as you create?
CC: At first glance, it might seem as if I am destroying things — and in a way, that is true. But it is more a process of transforming the meaning of an object or an experience. Through rupture and tearing, I create a connotative an other reflective dimension.
It is about creating an introspective space, the result of multiple layers of reflection. An envelope is no longer just an envelope, but the secret of the person who wrote it. A chair becomes the manifestation of an absence or presence. A comb becomes a way of untangling experiences and feelings.
MP: What is the biggest challenge you've faced as an artist?
CC: The challenge I have faced is that it is not always possible to make art. In hard times, dreams must also become resilient. What I have learned is that if you cannot make art every day, you can instead bring art into everything you do in your daily life.
MP: What do you consider the most important characteristics of an artist? What should aspiring artists keep in mind as they start their journey?
CC: To me, an artist is someone who engages creatively through deep reflection and is grounded in the world, understanding art also as a relational rather than purely individual practice.
I encourage young artists to stay persistent in their practice, even through difficult times, to trust and share their ideas, and to transform challenges into creative outcomes.
Furthermore, be generous in sharing your work, your ideas and your connections. People can learn from you, just as you can learn from them. Do not perceive art only through its individual dimension, but also through the power that comes from sharing — its capacity to foster a sense of belonging.
6. What's next for you? What are your ultimate artistic ambitions?
Right now, I am interested in exploring the sign or trace that the objects I experience leave on fabric, paper, walls or floors. I am reflecting on a new way of creating something that involves community and explores creativity and reflection through relational art.
More of Colibazzi's work can be found on her Instagram, @Carmen.colibazzi8.
Max Pearson is a City College transfer student majoring in education. Her dream is to be an elementary school teacher and a published novelist. When not writing, she can be found embroidering flowers on her sweaters, exploring NYC, or nerding out about historical medicine to anyone who will listen.
Comments