Diary of an Italian Artist in India: Synchrony of Opposites

DIARY OF AN ITALIAN ARTIST IN INDIA In a true performance, Italian artist Simona Bocchi immerses herself for more than a decade in an existential journey on the India sub-continent. During her long stay in India she explores new external landscapes that remodel her own interior landscape through her practice of conscious attention, and she offers herself to the reader as a companion for an extraordinary introspective journey. Simona empties sculptural material to refill it with the ether of her deep yearning for understanding by exploration. She sculpts, casts in bronze, stitches and paints, willingly embracing teachings from the unknown and living the whole creative journey as a long meditation, in full acceptance of the here and now and without any preconceptions. It was a hard task for a disruptive and rebellious young artist like Simona, an emancipated woman and a Westerner. It tested her willingness to immerse herself in a country characterised by astrict regime of behaviour, caste hierarchy and fierce chauvinism that contradicted her way of being. However, this encounter and clash of opposing worlds has rewarded her with a deep reflection on her values and a heightened awareness.