Marta Besada, paintings that tell stories
Marta opens the doors of her creative world in her home in Madrid.
Marta Besada is an artist whose paintings transform homes into spaces full of stories and personality. Her work, marked by the influence of the writer García Márquez, is a reflection of her ability to make art the heart of any home. In this interview, he talks about his creative process and how art can transform any space and connect deeply with those who inhabit it.
She tells us that her house is a reflection of her personality and her love of stories, full of restored furniture and pieces with stories of their own. We hope that, one day (soon), she will have the French marble fireplace she dreams of.
"Works of art do not have to match the space".
Tell us about yourself and your work. Where did your vocation start? Any first memories?
It all stems many years ago from literature and the magical realism of García Márquez. I always loved reading and writing my own stories, but when I was in high school and I read Gabo for the first time, I was so taken by him that I felt that this is what I wanted to do, to tell stories and let people immerse themselves in my world, making the extraordinary into the everyday and the seemingly insignificant into something unique. I searched for my own language and I found it through art and colour.
What do you find most satisfying about your work, and is there anything you are particularly proud of?
I love my work and I know I could never stop creating. I confess that I have always been obsessed with leaving my mark on the world, and for me, this is the best and most satisfying way, without a doubt.
I think I am proud of all my works because I never show anything that does not convince me 100%. Each of them has its own image that speaks of its own space and time.
For some years now, I have been working with fabrics, transforming the idea of space, and not long ago I discovered the philosophy of kintsugi; these two aspects are currently the most exciting.
Marta Besada in her home-studio in Madrid
What is your creative process like? What are your sources of inspiration?
My creative process is my day to day life, helped mostly by reading and film. I read everything because you never know what you're missing, what might pop up around the corner.
I love French cinema and documentaries about the Second World War. I like to observe, take notes, fill up field notebooks, write down phrases, ideas, conversations, even things that my children tell me and you realise that if you turn it over, it's a very interesting story...
Music is fundamental in my studio and the truth is that it is very varied, from Chavela Vargas to Hombres G or classical music, but there is always music in the background.
Favourite colour, book, film and record - in that order! ;D
- Colour, without a doubt, the olive green. I use it a lot in woodwork and kitchens. It has something warm and natural that combines very well with white lime walls or with the marble aesthetics of the walls of tapia.
- It's hard to choose one film, but I'd say "Fitzcarraldo". by Herzog with Klaus Kinski. Although all of Kubrick, the first Kurosawa or the Tarkovsky of Sacrifice also mark me. Lately I've been watching a lot of series, and the latest one I've been watching is So long Marianneabout Leonard Cohen's life on the Greek island of Hydra.
- And albums... the ones you listen to from beginning to end without skipping a song: Ziggy Stardust by David Bowie, Grace by Jeff Buckley, After Hours by Nina Simone, Construction by Chico Buarque, 1972 of Cartola, The New Abnormal And then there's Mozart, of course. Your Requiem is unrivalled.
What does your house look like, does it represent you?
Now I live in Rupià, in the family house. There's a piano, books, a fireplace and a small recording studio. I live with my mother and Gea, her dog, who is part of the landscape. Sometimes I imagine having a calf to make me coffee with its milk. For the moment, dreaming is enough.
If you could buy anything right now and take it home, what would it be? Anything!
A French fireplace in greyish marble. I am a fan of fireplaces and what happens around them.
A great plan at home always includes...
Coffee, a good documentary and the best company.
Do you have a signature dish?
In my house, lasagne and veal cheeks are usually a big hit with my daughters as judges.
Where is your favourite place in your city and abroad?
In my city, without a doubt the street where I live; its lively terraces, the trees, the space for walking, running, cycling... Abroad, I admit to being in love with Paris, but Florence has undoubtedly stolen my heart as well.
Anything you want to tell us that we haven't asked you, speak now or forever hold your peace!
Something I always say as a lover of decoration and an artist by profession is that works of art don't have to match the space, as the one they really match perfectly and work with is you and how they can speak about you in your space.
