For her first solo exhibition in Berlin during Art Week, Barcelona-based artist Yamila Miglioranza shares how her journey began with clay dolls in childhood and grew into a deeply personal practice rooted in memory, transformation and freedom. In this conversation, she reflects on the influence of her Argentine heritage, the meaning behind her work and the intuition that guides her creative process.
Could you tell us how your journey as an artist began and what inspired you to follow this path?
I always say that art is at the beginning of life at the beginning of existence. For humanity it is something essential. For me it started in childhood making clay dolls. As an adult I first returned to art through photography, creating concepts and developing them. I studied photography and film, more precisely audiovisual arts and I was fascinated by what I learned. I absorbed so much from artists, photographers and filmmakers. In the end all these worlds are very close. I don’t have formal training in visual arts as such. What has always inspired me is the need to express myself in order to feel better. Even when I was working in photography it was something I had to do to connect with that energy that gives meaning to everything.
Which artists, art movements or moments in art history have deeply influenced you or your way of creating?
Federico Manuel Peralta Ramos, an Argentine artist whom I love deeply for his sensitivity. He invented the “Ganic commandments” which I find beautiful. He is one of my favorite artists. Then of course Pollock for his way of creating from anger and the need to release something from within. And also David Lynch, especially when he talks about ideas, about diving into them and about life being full of abstractions that we must learn to value.
Are there aspects of your Argentine or Latin American heritage that you feel are reflected in your work?
Yes. The land, my homeland, even my skin color which is the color of earth. The titles of my works often reflect my Italian roots. From childhood I also carry the memory of the house I grew up in, small but surrounded by a large garden with many trees: a pine, an ombú, a lemon tree, a fig tree. My brother and I played in the fig tree constantly. That house was in a remote village next to a YPF station and it actually belonged to YPF. When I was about twelve we had to move because they were going to demolish the house. They tore down everything, even the trees, to make room for asphalt. For me it felt like my entire childhood was being covered in asphalt. That had a huge impact on me. These concepts don’t come from nowhere, they live in me shaped by my experiences. Later traveling through Latin America and Italy also enriched this perspective. All of that became part of the language I later found for my work.
What themes or ideas do you find recurring in your art?
Marks, scars, love, passion, wounds. These very human feelings return again and again in abstract ways. Depending on my state of mind the works can feel nostalgic, melancholic, hypnotic, passionate, fiery or intimate.
How do you usually develop your ideas? What sparks the start of a new piece or series for you?
I improvise. I often start from the parallel between earth and human skin, both of which hold memory, scars and stories, and both of which need water to live. I love mixing colors. Since I studied film and being a Libra who cares deeply about aesthetics I focus on blending, seeing what works, experimenting. Sometimes I get frustrated, destroy a piece and build something new on top of it. It’s all part of the process. I stop when the work surprises me. If it doesn’t feel true I can’t keep it, I couldn’t create something empty or meaningless.
Can you guide us through your creative process? From initial inspiration to the finished work.
I begin by mounting the canvas on the stretcher then apply very diluted layers with water to create glazes. In some areas I use more concentrated acrylic and blend the colors. The work speaks to me. It may sound unusual but it’s really an intuitive process without a set formula.
How do materials and techniques influence the way you express yourself?
Water and my hands are my main tools. I feel that touching the canvas directly shows in the finished work, it carries presence. Before I experimented with natural dyes like cinnamon, onion skins and coffee which even left scents in the work. With acrylics I discovered movement and blending and now I want to keep exploring that.
Are there materials or methods you feel a special connection to? Why?
Yes, acrylics. Because of the way they flow with water they reveal movement and energy.
When you work, how do you balance following your intuition with planning and intention?
Sometimes I know where I want to go and then get frustrated when it doesn’t turn out as planned. That’s when I let intuition take over. I choose colors based on the concept but sometimes unexpected things happen. For example, once I used an orange I didn’t like but later it created incredible glazes. I do make plans but I also give myself the freedom to let go and be surprised. Even though in life I like to control things in the studio I allow myself to release control.
Your work often touches on memory, identity or transformation. What do these ideas mean to you personally?
I believe we are reborn many times within one lifetime. We close cycles and begin new ones. When I first came to Europe I was deeply sad about leaving my city and painting became a refuge. Art has always been that for me. Watching a film, going to an exhibition, these are experiences that allow you to step outside yourself. Memory, identity and transformation are all part of how we move through life. We create our identities through memory and we keep transforming.
How do you feel about how people interpret your work? Do you prefer to guide their understanding or leave it open?
I love hearing how people interpret my work, especially when it’s completely different from my own perspective. That’s the magic: I create something, release it and then it expands through others’ interpretations. I like to listen first and only later, if I want, share what I had in mind. That’s the beauty of abstraction.
How do you see your art connecting or responding to both contemporary and historical conversations in art?
I see my work in dialogue with the tradition of abstract art, exploring what cannot be represented through figurative forms. At the same time it responds to the contemporary context because it comes from a personal search rooted in memory, inner chaos and the need to find my own language. In a world dominated by direct and figurative images my paintings create a space of contemplation and mystery that links the personal with the collective.
Are there new themes or directions you’re exploring now?
Yes, I am now working with movement appearing only in certain areas while other parts of the canvas remain almost silent. There is always a new point that emerges in the process. For me art begins with a point, then another, until it becomes a line and I keep discovering new ones. After learning about Merleau-Ponty I realized I had already been doing what he described, especially through movement. I used more brushes in the beginning but later discovered something liberating in using my hands. Now I’m experimenting with controlling that energy, allowing part of the work to move while another remains still.
What does artistic freedom mean to you?
Artistic freedom is being able to express myself without imposed structures or expectations. It means painting from my own chaos, memories and sensations without worrying about what it should be or how it will be received. Freedom is when the work flows and builds itself, when I lose myself in the process without forcing a result. It’s also the chance to create an intimate language of my own and share something genuine with others.
How do you personally define success as an artist?
For me success is when my work touches people, when it awakens something in them. It’s also the fulfillment I feel when I finish a piece and know I was honest with myself. Success is living a life where painting has a central place and feeling aligned with what I always wanted to be: an artist.
How does it feel to have your first solo exhibition in Berlin during Art Week?
It makes me very happy. I started painting to save myself, not for success or money but because I needed to inhabit the present and give meaning to life which sometimes feels meaningless. There are wars and so much inequality, if we look around nothing makes sense except what we choose to create. For me painting gave life meaning. I go to my studio on Sunday mornings, on Mondays, on Tuesdays and there something makes sense. When people see my work and connect with it, when they understand my sensitivity, that is success. It’s incredibly rewarding and honestly unexpected.
I am very grateful to the entire team at Circle Culture Gallery for trusting in my work. It is truly gratifying. They are professional but also sensitive in how they select artists and engage with their work. They do it out of love for art and that is visible. Supporting emerging artists is something very beautiful and necessary for the art world.