1. Name, age, location?
Piero Clemente Garreffa, 37, Fitzroy
2. What do you do?
Painter & Artist
3. What would you rather be doing?
What I am doing now.
4. How have you changed in the last five years?
I lived in Italy for the best part of 10 years, so when I moved back to Australia in 2014 I began working on the family vineyard in Mildura. Being the remote town that it is, eventually I decided to pack it all up and make the move to Melbourne to pursue my artistic ambitions. I’ve now established my studio in Fitzroy and currently applying for my Masters in Art at RMIT.
5. Who do you look up to?
My Nonna, my Papa and my Mother.
6. How do you look after yourself?
I do a little yoga and the occasional reiki. I get fresh produce sent from the family farm and always try to cook every night at home. I always seek counsel with my sister who studied food nutrition and science. Plus I read, read and read. Books are really important for me to be able to continue learning and developing.
7. Do you think men need to moisturise?
I remember when I was about 19 I was chatting to this older guy of about 50. He told me “Hey Piero – you know if want to get a nice girlfriend you’ve got to look after yourself, moisturise and wash your feet. It’s the little things in life that matter.” Growing up with four sisters, curiosity would get the better of me and I would always nab their powders and creams. Plus, I remember going into mum and dads bathroom to take some coins for school canteen and I would give myself a little spray of their perfumes.
8. What do you care about?
Love and the truth.
9. What don’t you care about?
Tyre kickers, time wasters and people with no opinions.
10. How important is honesty to you?
Without honesty all that's left is lies and deceit that will erode your mind. The only truth is in nature – all the other stuff is unknown.
11. When was the last time you were wrong?
The last girl I dated.
12. What’s the most brutal truth you’ve faced?
The other night I was sitting and looking at some of my recent drawings. I realised that there are things in this world we have no control over or understanding of and that’s okay because it teaches you to listen, wait, learn and accept.