Name: Philippa Bianchi
Age: 30
Occupation: Portrait painter
My best ever trip…
I suddenly found myself surrounded by oversized fish, manta ray and even some sea turtles
Was a sailing excursion along the Turkish Riviera with my family in a wooden gullet. The land and seascapes were absolutely spectacular. I can still picture the turquoise bays and the ancient Greco-Roman ruins. It was pure relaxation.
While on the subject of spectacular places, I had the truly good fortune to live in Florence for two years after university, during which time I learned the art of portraiture in the atelier tradition of Gammell and Sargent.
It was my experience of Florence that really fuelled my passion for the visual arts and where I had an unprecedented opportunity to soak up the history of art as well as all things Tuscan, from the food and wines to the architecture.
I felt so welcome in…
Living in Mexico City, where I currently reside. The people here are among the warmest I have met. I have met some astonishing people, true friends and genuine mentors.
Additionally, there is a real joie de vivre, which is palpable, and certainly one gets that sense from the sheer amount of time people spend eating and drinking with one another. Then, again, the food may also be partly to blame for that. The food is absolutely incredible and quite possibly unmatched in regional diversity.
I couldn’t wait to leave…
Boston. Being of Mediterranean blood, I am completely ill-suited to freezing temperatures. During our time in Boston, at one point, over 1.3 metres of snow fell within a period of six weeks, with temperatures at times reaching -30˚C.
Obviously, that’s not to say that I didn’t meet some incredibly interesting and accomplished people in Boston… I just couldn’t take the wintry elements!
I partied hardest in…
My most memorable late night revelry was in Paris. Perhaps, it was the novelty of a night out abroad at a young age. Nevertheless, a friend had organised a ball in the Bois du Boulogne, and some of us carried on into the streets of Paris until the wee hours of the morning, in our ball gowns, tails and top hats looking for a spot of breakfast. It was quite surreal, and Paris at dawn looked shiny, new and wholly unspoilt.
I cringe when I think of…
How much more of the world I have yet to see. I am particularly keen to take advantage of the relative proximity and head down to Central (Guatemala/Nicaragua) and South America (Colombia/Peru/Argentina).
An amusing anecdote…
Would be why I still haven’t managed to learn how to scuba dive. We were on honeymoon in the Seychelles. For the first time, I decided to try open-water scuba diving at what seemed a depth of 10 metres. I had done some rudimentary theory on the shore, and I suddenly found myself surrounded by oversized fish, manta ray and even some sea turtles. The instructor then decided to start to remove my oxygen, take off my diving mask, basically, to teach us how to deal with all eventualities underwater.
Needless to say, I didn’t enjoy any of that and to this day haven’t managed to revisit the subject of scuba diving. I have capped my underwater escapades, at least for the time being, to snorkelling!
I wish I could live in…
Paris, at some point in my life. Parisian city life is quite a world unto itself. For me, I am drawn most of all to its energy, its inexhaustible supply of bars, cafes and restaurants, the vibrancy of its artistic scene, the cosmopolitan aspect of its inhabitants and the sophistication of the Parisian social scene.
Having said that, Mexico City ticks many of the same boxes, and perhaps in terms of sheer energy and entrepreneurialism is currently among the most exciting places to be.
I treasure the memory of…
The recent inauguration of my solo exhibition The Majesty of Paint at the Mexican Stock Exchange in Mexico City. It was a great success and I remain grateful to the president of the Stock Exchange and his colleagues for not only sponsoring my first solo exhibition internationally, but also for their belief in my work and for hosting such a memorable inaugural cocktail party.
Some of us carried on into the streets of Paris until the wee hours of the morning, in our ball gowns, tails and top hats…
I adored the food in…
My father has Lebanese and Egyptian roots, and we have always been exposed, as a result, to a range of culinary traditions at home. As a consequence, whenever I pass through London, I always make an effort to have at least one Indian curry. I find curry is difficult to find in Mexico, perhaps because they have their own interpretation of spice.
Having said that, the best food I have ever eaten was a fish a friend and I caught off the rocks in Ixtapa, Zihautanejo, Mexico. Rather astonishingly, we did very little actual ‘cooking’, mainly cured it in lime juice and added some sliced onions and fresh chilli. The dish is known locally as ceviche and is absolutely exquisite. If ever in Mexico, I would very highly recommend it.
I enjoy returning to…
Malta, which is, and always will be, my one and only home. Most importantly, it is where my family lives. I am also fond of the UK, which could be described as a second home, as I was not only schooled there from a young age, but subsequently lived and worked there for many years. Not surprisingly, I have many friends there, who I always enjoy visiting on my travels back and forth from Mexico to Malta.
The hardest part of travelling is…
Definitely, jetlag. A close second would be making sure you’ve got the right wardrobe. Just a few weeks ago, for example, I was flying through icy Switzerland to see some clients of mine, and thereafter flew back to Mexico, where upon I arrived to a proper tropical-style heat wave. A distant third would be juggling my personal belongings with, at times, the entire content of my studio, as pigments and certain resins and oils can be quite difficult to come by in certain parts of the world.
Travel has taught me…
The value of adaptation. I have, over the years, learned how to make the most of my environment so as to be able to make the most of opportunities while not compromising on the quality of my work. This is particularly true of studio space, lighting and art supplies. That is, of course, speaking in a professional capacity.
In a personal context, the very same principles apply. One has to remain open to new experiences and to meeting new people and to making, with a little luck, new friends.
I dream of one day visiting…
The State Hermitage Museum of St Petersburg, Russia; seeing the Bolshoi Ballet perform in Moscow; the Museo del Prado in Madrid to soak up the Velázquez/Titian/Goya/Murillo/El Greco; live Flamenco whenever next in Spain…
I travel because…
Initially, because my parents always encouraged me to do so. Also, because of schooling abroad in the UK, it became part of my annual routine, particularly over the holidays.
Recently, I have made homes in many different countries, which has tremendously impacted my work and my clientele base. As a result of my time in Mexico, where I am surrounded by colour day to day, for example, colour has become a much more important element in my compositions.
Interestingly, as my clientele base has diversified and become more international, I find I am more than ever travelling to new parts of the world, increasingly further afield and meeting more and more interesting people as a result.
Visit www.philippabianchi.com to find out more about Philippa’s work.