Escapist Reality with Alessandra Genualdo Kingsford

Escapist Reality with Alessandra Genualdo Kingsford

Alessandra Genualdo Kingsford is an Italian artist and educator whose work is deeply rooted in the exploration of womanhood and the power of the feminine. Based in London, her journey from illustrator to painter has been shaped by a love for music, film, and her own evolving perception of identity. Through her vibrant gouache and watercolour creations, Alessandra captures both the strength and fragility of women, weaving autobiographical elements with inspiration from art, culture, and everyday encounters.

Can you share the moment or experience when you first realised you wanted to pursue a career as an artist? How has your journey evolved from that moment to where you are today?

Since I was very little, I loved making things with my hands, and growing up I carried on drawing a lot, taking pictures, filming, sewing and painting. When I moved to London, I decided I wanted to be an illustrator, and that journey has evolved and shifted to the current point, where my practice is solely defined by painting.

Have any specific illustrators or art movements had a lasting influence on your work? If so, how have they shaped your style or approach?

What have always influenced and informed my work the most are music and films - Cocteau Twins, Broadcast, My Bloody Valentine, and Sonic Youth, to name a few of my favourite artists, along with Jonas Mekas, Pipilotti Rist, Sofia Coppola, and Ingmar Bergman for movies and experimental films. I am largely self-taught as a painter, so rather than having being influenced by a specific style or movement, I have drawn my inspiration from the atmosphere sounds, words and images communicate to me.

Do you have a favourite era of art or culture that you often revisit for inspiration, and why?

When I was 10, I inherited a 10-volume encyclopaedia from my mum called Enciclopedia della Fanciulla, which was beautifully illustrated and full of pictures from ’60s fashion and interiors. It made me sink into a deep sadness which lasted months, because I couldn’t come to terms with the fact that I couldn’t live in that period. I still find that time very inspiring.

What mediums or tools do you prefer working with, and how do they impact the look and feel of your illustrations?

I always paint with gouache and watercolour, often incorporating some colouring pencils. Gouache can contribute to producing really neat and defined work, which I am currently trying to break out of and embrace imperfection, revisiting the way I use the medium.

How do you decide on the level of detail to include in a portrait, particularly when balancing the depiction of facial features with artistic elements like stylisation or abstraction?

Rather than it being a conscious decision, it is the product of the development and progression my work has been organically going through. Small details in the way I approach the depiction of eyes, mouths or hair gradually shifts and shapes a further stage in my practice.

If you could collaborate with any artist, musician, or creative brand, who would it be and why?

A dream collaboration would be with either Sofia Coppola, Kim Gordon, Chloe Sevigny, Dilara Findikoglu or Cecilie Bahnsen. All of their work is informed by a strong yet gentle depiction of women that I try to portray in my own practice somehow.

How do you know when a piece is truly finished, and what emotions do you feel when you reach that point?

The moment a painting looks finished is quite fleeting. I confidently feel it is done before I start doubting myself. I am very critical of my work, and at the end of each piece I question whether it could be better, but I force myself to acknowledge the confidence I felt when thinking I was done and move on to the next painting.

What are you most passionate about conveying through your work, and how do you translate that passion into your pieces?

Ultimately, I use my practice to mirror an escapist reality into various facets of the experience of womanhood. I am passionate about each theme I explore in my work, but it all always comes back to the depiction of powerful and fragile feminine realms.

See more of Alessandra Genualdo Kingsford:

cargocollective.com/agenualdo

instagram.com/agenualdo

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