Recently relocated her studio to SE London in Art Hub in Deptford Creekside, artist Mattea Perrotta’s large solo room nestles an oasis consecrated to material exploration and self-discovery. Relishing the solitude of the place, she often indulges in reveries of the past, reliving them in a nostalgic stillness that is as important to her as painting: “being quiet, paying attention and reflecting is a huge part of what I do”, she claims. Unlike her previous Parisian apartment, where the living room served as a workspace, her London study is decked with chairs and sofas, an arrangement which confers a sense of inviting coziness, similar to that of a waiting room, while still cohering with a homely and spacious harmony. Family photos and college souvenirs decorate the walls, pinpointing past experiences. Following no specific working habits, she takes great comfort in quotidian customs such as daily visits to a nearby gas station in search of black coffee, or listening to classical Russian church songs, her current musical predilection. An organised mess, her studio reeks a strong smell of wet paint, attesting to her experimentation with both oil and plaster, which she employs habitually, tracing over finished work in a relentless inquest for potentialities and textures. Despite having previously painted objects and models from life, her ongoing exercises delve in highly introspective paths, examining personal trauma as the main sustenance for her canvases and sculptures. Concordant with these concerns, her table is piled with books related to Art Therapy and feminism, certifying her increasing immersion in introspection.
