I’ve always been fascinated by words. A word bears the seeds of significance, of memory, of a state of being. It contains an evocative power within, capable of awakening those hidden feelings in the secret labyrinths of our memory. A word can wound or heel, it can change the course of a conversation for good or for worse.
In a historical moment where words seem to have been emptied of their meaning and deprived of their original sense, finding a project like Controverso Dizionario (Controverse Dictionary), has given me enormous relief. Because someone still cares about words and believes in their weight. Luckily someone still thinks they are important!
Swiss by origin and Milanese by attitude, Sara Stefanini is a graphic designer and illustrator. Personal collaborations aside, she publishes a word or duo weekly on her Instagram page. That’s how reason-instinct, anger-rage, falseness-honesty, optimist-pessimist, balance-unbalance but also audacity, doubt and patience find a depiction.
I fall in love with those illustrations because behind an apparent simplicity they succeed in penetrating the profoundness of the complexity of the human psyche. Looking at them, I almost perceive the emotions and feelings which have brought to their creation.
Though both Sara and I live in Milan, we have a hard time planning a meeting vis-à-vis, so we decide to catch up on Skype. On the other side of the screen I find Sara and her solar energy to greet me.
Sara Stefanini
. . .
WHY
why and how did you end up in your career path?
Controverso was created from the necessity to give words importance, because in this peculiar moment – especially with social media – all of us can say anything, give an opinion or express a thought. Within ten seconds – just enough to browse through your timeline – these words vanish, somehow losing their meaning and it seemed like a pity to me.
Once, when you’d say “I give you my word”, respecting it was almost an act of honour, and frequently people use words without really knowing their meaning. I’ve been told many words in my life, so I wanted to not only put them black on white but also to add some colour and give them a shape. With an image you can give a direct metaphor to feel something or give an impulse.
Because words are the first thing through which we adults express ourselves, it’s also interesting to see people’s feedbacks. Sometimes they thank me for giving them some food for thought, others they feel it doesn’t belong to them.
WHO
how would you describe yourself in a few words?
Happy. I think I’ve changed a lot during the years so right now I feel happy. I don’t know if its a description after all because it’s more a state of being. Feeling happy – or having this joy to share – is nice because it tells a lot about how you interact with things or the life you get.
WHAT
what is your source of inspiration?
Anything that can tell me a story or arise feelings within me. From theatre, to music – i’m biting concerts away like there’s no tomorrow! – other illustrators and artists in general; I take a peek at several artworks from classic to modern. I try to keep searching, also amongst new things. I’m hungry when it comes to inspiration!
WHERE
where do you go to when you need a break?
In nature: in the woods if possible or in the park if I’m in the city. Nature is the first thing I need.
WHEN
when and what will your next steps be?
A bilingual Italian-English illustrated book in collaboration with a writer and translator. It’s called “I Miss You”, and it’s a book based on the word “missing” and how to take care of that feeling or feel it more. The idea is to produce a sensorial book that you can play or do things with, to materialize the feeling of lack in itself.
Another project I’m working on is the creation of an illustrated book for kids. The dream of a lifetime would be to open an atelier for kids; it’s in the to-do list for now, but I’m caressing the idea!
**WILDCARD
is there a word you’re having a hard time to create due to the feelings it provokes in you?
I’ve had a standstill because I wasn’t succeeding to create the duos correctly, but I’ll be back shortly because I’m collaborating with Slam.
I don’t think there are particularly difficult words, but I think there are moments when some words don’t tell you what you have to feel in that specific moment.