Today we meet the spanish artist and Paloma Wool’s collaborator Tana Latorre. 
This lady, who grew up in Nairobi and studied all around Europe, is our crush of the week.
Get to know her more!

Ingrid. Which is your academic path, what did you study and how did you finally land to your own visual language?
Tana. I grew up in Nairobi, went to high school in Geneva and studied graphic design in Paris and Barcelona. I think a lot about how my work would have developed differently if I had studied Fine Art and hope I will someday go to university again, for now I work a lot in fashion.
My visual language (recently) depicts a lot of femininity but it doesn’t end there, I have a lot more things I want to express and many ways I would like to do it.

Ingrid. Your nudes and female figures drawn simply with ink on paper, remind me of Matisse, Calder, Picasso how have they been an inspiration? And which other artistic influences do you have?
Tana. The artists you just mentioned are some of my most important teachers.
I have learnt most from the things I love. The first time I realized I wanted to do Art was in a Cartier Bresson exhibition I saw when I was 15.. The work spoke to me in a way I wanted to speak too. Art is a language and it speaks in a way I can relate to.

Ingrid. As Spanish artist, could you tell us something about your city and your daily life?
Tana. Barcelona provides a very easy lifestyle. This city always manages to feel warm, safe, beautiful and fun. I’m always so happy to come back to Barcelona when I travel.

Ingrid. You have recently been painting a silk mural. Which other fabric do you use for your drawings?
Tana. Silk is the only fabric I have painted directly on. The rest is all print.

Ingrid. You have collaborated with Paloma Wool on a series of art installations, live paintings and even a couple of books. How did you meet?
Tana. Paloma and I were friends at first, I then started working for her families fashion brand ‘nice things’ where I was lucky enough to be part of the beginning and now the development of Paloma Wool.

Ingrid. I have seen your drawings also on Paloma Wool collections. Which is your relationship with the fashion production?
Tana. I have a full time relationship with fashion 🙂  I work in both design and communication for Paloma Wool.

Ingrid. Sometimes you also paint your figures directly on the model wearing the clothes, what happens exactly?
Tana. That was for a a Limited Edition of silk shirts we did for Paloma Wool.
Normally fabrics are printed, cut and then sewn into clothes, we decided to alter the process and paint on them once they had already been made with our friend Olga wearing the shirts. It felt very personal painting on a woman’s body like that. The result was something truly special

Ingrid. Where does your obsession for female figure come from? Do you feel like female nudity is fully accepted?
Tana. The subjects of my work are things I want to pay tribute to. It is my way of dedicating time and attention to things I admire. Women is one of them. I get surprised when people mention the nudity.. I accept it so much I don’t even realize it.

Ingrid. Barcelona seems full of talents at the moment. Do you think the city is experiencing a new creative wave somehow?
Tana. There is a particularly interesting and impressive new creative wave within people in their 20’s in Barcelona. I look forward to seeing more of it happen.

All the images courtesy of Tana Latorre.