Gaia Cairo
Illustrator
Seregno, Italy
A flurry of Nature's wonders
- Gaia creates flora and fauna illustrations expressed in surreal geometric compositions
- She creates scientific illustrations for marine conservation
- Scuba diving has influenced her creative approach and inspiration
Gaia Cairo has turned drawing into a tool for studying and understanding the natural world. After a degree in interior design in Milan, she specialised in editorial illustration and communication for wildlife and the environment. Becoming a scuba diving instructor took her abroad, where she worked as a scientific illustrator for marine conservation NGOs. “The unimaginable variety and mysteriousness of sea life became a source of infinite inspiration,” she says. In her illustrations, marine creatures, birds, plants and algae are drawn out of their natural context and recomposed into surreal geometrical designs. Today Gaia lives in the Italian Alps, and harnesses the reach of decorative arts to spread awareness about science, nature and the environment.
INTERVIEW
Scuba diving gave me the chance to discover a whole new planet, where colours, shapes and geometries are utterly unpredictable and for this reason, fascinating. The unimaginable variety and mysteriousness of sea life became a source of infinite inspiration for me.
I would call it more of a 'need' for geometry. It is something between an obsession and a playful approach that pushes me to study the geometry of every single element in order to find the fit between all the shapes I work with.
To me, variety is the key for finding my own artistic voice and inspiration. All of my travels give me the chance to explore countless different influences, styles, atmospheres, which shape my artistic research and interests.
I have not always enjoyed painting, and it took me a while to realise that for me, drawing is more a tool for comprehension rather than a tool for expression. In order to understand the world, I need to re-draw everything and create my own alphabet.
Gaia Cairo
Illustrator
Seregno, Italy
ADDRESS
Address upon request, Seregno, Italy
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
LANGUAGES
Italian, English
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