Sitting on a stool in her lab, artist and designer Giorgiana Velluti pulls down container after container of paper scraps. From magazine clippings to craft paper to bits of packaging, no piece of paper is too insignificant to the artist. Giorgiana collected many of these papers throughout her extensive travels. Repurposing continues to be a theme throughout Giorgiana’s art. Combining reclaimed furniture, paint, paper, and sometimes bits of gold, Giorgiana strives to breathe life into old pieces by telling a story through them. As she has developed her style, Giorgiana has become more interested in creating art that has layers and allows the viewer to discover the piece’s story for themselves.

During this session in the lab, Giorgiana is starting a new chair. Noticing the increased concern about the state of the environment and pollution, Giorgiana wants to bring these themes to the work’s story. She starts by going through and creating piles of paper, creating in a sense the mood board for the project. As she sorts, Giorgiana occasionally comments on some of her choices. Scraps with prints of flowers and plants are set to the side to create a “bucolic” scene. A cutout of a model covering her eyes could be used to show the people who do not want to see the issues. Word clippings like “disena tu propio” and “mundo” will be combined to give verbal cues to the story. After assembling the general materials, Giorgiana will bring the project home, where she can continue to work on the layout every time she passes, keeping an open dialogue with the piece until she is satisfied with the message.