The Everything is Art interview with Cleo Pètra

Combining cultural influences

Inspired by her travels, photography, and living in different places, she creates portraits that celebrate identity and human connection. 

Each piece is a tribute to its subject and the world around us, a reminder that that despite our differences, we are all connected. To celebrate the launch of Everything is Art, we sat down with Cleo to hear about her influences.

We started by talking about how Cleo got into art. “I don’t think I ever became an artist as such, but for as long as I can remember I’ve tried to embellish things by painting, drawing, and sculpting. I’ve always found a way to create with my hands.” 

“I’m an extremely visual person, perhaps because I’ve travelled and moved around all my life. As a kid I was exposed to lots of different surroundings, and just like all kids, I wanted to look and then to touch.”

Cleo has been based in Los Angeles for the last twelve years. It feels like home to her now and is made all the better by her new studio: a large, converted loft space. She lives surrounded by her work. “I don’t ever want to be able to escape it or be distracted by anything else.  There is nothing more important or sacred to me.”

The loft is flooded with light during the day, and dark and moody at night. “It’s almost as though I have a bunch of low maintenance, beautiful housemates,” she laughs, referring to her paintings. 

Cleo finds it hard to define herself as someone who sticks to one style. “I think when different artistic styles mix and evolve, that is where things get interesting. Humans are complicated beings, and so are the ways we express.”

Creating drama and contrast with art materials

Things can get a little messy in the studio when Cleo makes her art. “I’m a bit childlike when I paint. I dance around, stare, hum and think as much as I put brush to canvas.” But for Cleo it is an intuitive process, and she often works on more than one piece at a time.  “I move between paintings, using whatever is around. It’s typically a mix of different mediums.” She loves the drama of contrast and works in charcoal, oil, acrylics and sometimes even fabric. 

We moved on to talking about her biggest influence. So, who were they? “My parents. They are a mix of ying and yang. Harsh and soft. They are my favourite people: the most intriguing ones I have ever known. Perhaps it’s because I’ve spent so much time getting to know them, which was a conscious decision.  It’s like peeling back layers: in turns it’s inspiring, it disappoints and it is beautiful. You just need to embrace it all.”

 

Staying creative is something she does by maintaining practice and sticking to a schedule. “At this point in my life I’ve been able to set myself up in a way that complements the way I like to create, and the way I am.” She acknowledges that it’s rare to have the perfect set up but emphasises that sticking to a simple ritual is key.  “It can be five minutes, or it can be five hours. It can be writing a sentence or doing a sketch or painting a huge mural, all practice matters.”

Ten intriguing, emotional and expressive portraits

What excites her about taking part in Everything is Art with Desenio? “I am inspired by the women behind the project, who each have a strong vision. Art is still seen as something that not everyone can do, have or afford, which isn’t true.” She loves the idea of helping people to create, and to own art in a way that respects the artists too. 

For Everything is Art, Cleo has made ten new pieces. They are very unique: intriguing, emotional and expressive portraits of women. “Across cultures, women are represented as goddesses because they stand at the place where human life first meets mystery: birth, beauty, desire, violence, endurance, intuition, loss, renewal. Civilizations may change names, symbols, and stories, but they return again and again to the female figure as something more than merely human.” she says. Each piece is truly a tribute to the women in the world around us.