Annalea Clelia Tunesi

Interview by Lizzie Lloyd

Meet Annalea, fierce friend and studio neighbour, who creates the most amazing ceramic vessels.
She is a voraciously curious human and I am grateful for our existential doorstep chats.

Where were you born, where do you currently reside?
I was born in Brescia, Italy. I live in London.

When the world is in turmoil, how do you find solace?
Swimming.

What does inspiration mean to you? Where do you find it? How do you channel it? How do you seek it out?
Inspiration is everything for me, I mostly find it when I am cycling around London.

If you could choose to spend an afternoon with any artist, writer, designer or creative, who would you spend it with, and why?
John Chamberlain. His sculptures speak to me, they make me think about space and objects whilst dragging me into the world of abstraction. I would like to ask him about assemblage and instinct.
Giovanna Garzoni, a 17th century still life painter. A solitary observer of nature, life and death. 

We thrive on honouring our connection to the natural world through food, medicine and gardening. What role does nature play in your life?
Nature can have a soothing effect or be extremely daunting, I love both. Paraphrasing Virginia Woolf I would like to have a garden of my own to contemplate and find inspiration for my creative process.

We have always believed in the connection between the body and the mind. We try hard to practice self-care, though it’s not always easy. How do you look after yourself?
I am vain, in a tomboy style, I try to eat well and be omnivore. I can't live without scents.

Human bodies as vessels that retain the traces of lived experiences are a huge source of inspiration to us. What does growing into your body feel like to you?
I follow my wrinkles and see all my past.

What does pleasure – whether personal, professional or both – look like for you? Where do you find it? How do you welcome it? 
I find strong pleasure listening to Chet Baker lying in the dark on a hot summer night.


Can you share with us an experience that has transformed you in some way? And tell us why it was so important to you?
During my university years my feminist aunt often invited me to intellectual discussions in a women's bookshop. The discussion about Virgina Woolf’s writing and more specifically about Mrs Dolloway changed my life - my taste on books, my understanding of women's freedom and my approach to psychoanalysis. 

What food do you share with friends and loved ones and why? Can you give us your recipe?
I am an upside down person. Tarte Tatin and Tahdig are my favourite dishes. I like surprises, even if burned!

Tahdig is a persian recipe for crispy rice.
Cook the rice for some 40 minutes on a slow flame. 
Once it's flipped from top to bottom it reveals a crust, a gold, crunchy surface, beautiful and happy.
To share the joy, absolutely.

What kind of landscapes are you most drawn to? Can you describe the colours, sounds, smells, feelings?
Wintery colours in endless beaches where the grey of the sky and the one of the sea are a continuous surface. Everything is in stasis. Pure abstraction, silence and a strong seaweed smell.

What was the last book you’ve loved? 
The trip to Echo Spring by Olivia Laing.

Over the years we have looked to the words of writers, thinkers and makers to stimulate our ideas. How does the following quote resonate for you?
‘It’s a joy to be hidden and a disaster not to be found’. (D.W. Winnicoat)
A perfect definition of the contradiction between: to be in the world, and to be on a solitary path.

thank you ANNALEA!

 

Lea wears a Moon Vest from AW25/26.