Interview: Maria Chiariello aka Ms. Italia

Maria Chiariello expresses her art in many forms. As the non-verbal stage persona Ms. Italia, she captivates audiences alongside Mr. Rockalicious in the duo Mitossi, blending music, mime, and theatre into a wild, enchanting performance. Without a single word, she brings her stories to life.

Off stage, Maria shares her experiences and knowledge with fellow artists through her platform ARTISTA. It’s all about sparking creative processes and authentically bringing them to life, both in art and in one's professional career. Her blog is a source of honest, inspiring thoughts on art and creativity.

Introduction

What’s your name?
My given name is Maria Chiariello. But shh! That name doesn’t mean much on stage.

What kind of art/creativity do you primarily engage in?
Primarily, I’m a performance artist. I also write about artistic and creative potential and provide advice to artists and those interested in art. And then there are a variety of other things I love to experiment with, like photography and digital art.

Have you had formal training, or are you self-taught?
I’m self-taught. My artistic journey began in 2011, and I’ve been consistently developing and growing in my craft ever since.

Where can people view your work? Do you have a website or social media profiles you’d like to share?
Feel free to take a look at my most important stage persona, “Ms. Italia,” on Instagram. For those interested in me as a person and as an art mentor, head over to ARTISTA, where you can find all the details about my various projects.

You're creative. Why?

I think I've been creative my whole life, though for a long time I wasn’t really aware of it or sure what to do with it. I just knew I approached things differently from others, thought more deeply, questioned a lot, and never felt particularly comfortable with “normal.” Back then, I didn’t have an outlet for this “otherness.” It took me quite some time to fully embrace my creativity and do something with it. It wasn’t until 2014 that I began referring to myself as an artist. Nowadays, I’m convinced that creativity and artistic expression are the most beautiful things we, as humans, possess. For me, it’s a form of self-realization.

What inspires you?

People! I love hearing about different personal journeys and life stories. Especially when people hold on to their dreams and have the courage to pursue them. Beyond that, I love travelling. New places are another important source of inspiration for me.

Are there any particular artists or styles that influence you?

I’m a huge fan of Marcel Marceau and Charlie Chaplin. Freddie Mercury is also a massive inspiration. I love strong, confident stage performances.

Personally, I enjoy breaking contexts and genres. That’s why my stage persona, "Ms. Italia," deliberately draws on a wide range of styles and influences. Film characters are another exciting source of inspiration for me.

For example, the main inspiration behind my character is a modern harlequin. I think you can visually spot a bit of "Harley Quinn" in Ms. Italia. Then there are punk-rock elements, and of course, my own style.

In terms of genre, my performance mostly sits within physical theatre and mime. But that’s not all; clowning and visual comedy also play a significant role. It’s a wild mix. And that’s exactly what it’s meant to be.

What does your creative process look like?

Phew, that’s not an easy question. Since I’m not a solo artist, but part of a show duo, a big part of my (our) creative process involves working together on new ideas. My project partner and I often spend hours talking, letting ideas flow, and brainstorming. Then we try out those ideas. If they feel good, we pursue them further. If they don’t, we drop them. It’s a constant trial-and-error process until a rough structure emerges. Alongside the question of "what do we/I like and feel excited about?" comes the ever-present "will this bring joy to the audience?" Sometimes we’ll come up with an idea for an entire act in no time. Other times, it takes ages, and all we have are bits and pieces that don’t quite fit together. It can take months to finalize a show. And even then, it doesn’t mean it’ll be any good... You only really get good on stage. That takes quite a few performances. After every show, we evaluate what went well and what didn’t, and piece by piece, the show gets refined.

Then there’s also the personal work that each of us has to do. The ongoing work on the stage persona. Not a day goes by where I don’t think about how I can perfect Ms. Italia. From the costume to the movements, gestures, and facial expressions – there’s always something I can add to make a performance better. What has become increasingly important to me over time is being in tune with myself. There’s nothing worse than standing on stage and feeling uncomfortable (disconnected). You can’t build an authentic connection with your audience that way. That’s why this aspect takes up the largest part of my creative process at the moment. It’s more inner work than outer.

Is there a particular project or work that holds special meaning for you?

Without a doubt, my stage persona, Ms. Italia, represents my most important and challenging task. I’ve played many roles in the past and performed in various theatre productions. But playing a role and creating your own character are two very different things. I think Ms. Italia is so meaningful to me because I try to pour everything that defines me and occupies my thoughts into her. Ms. Italia is multi-faceted, has depth, and her own story. That’s why she’s my most personal role.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome as an artist?

I think one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced was that, especially in the early years, I was performing more for myself rather than for the audience. All artists have their own interests and artistic standards; our ego wants a say too, and that’s perfectly fine. But for a long time, I craved recognition so much that I lost sight of the real core. In the moment of a performance, it’s no longer about me, but about the people watching. Once you internalize that, it changes the entire atmosphere. But the journey to get there is tough.

How important is connection and interaction with other artists and creatives to you?

I’ve never been a fan of competitive behaviour among creatives. Unfortunately, I’ve had a few negative experiences in that regard. There’s a lot of envy among artists.

Personally, collaboration and collegiality are really important to me. I don’t have a competitive mindset. That’s why in 2020, I decided to offer mentoring and support for aspiring artists. I enjoy it when others can learn from me. That’s also why I like sharing my knowledge on my blog. Looking ahead, I’m even planning an interdisciplinary community between artists and (non-creative) entrepreneurs, to build a bridge between “art and business.”

What does art mean to you? What role does it play in your life?

Art is incredibly important to me. It’s part of my identity, and therefore essential to my life. I often say, “I think artistically.” Since I’ve always been interested in the analytical side of art—questions like, “What makes artistic approaches so special?”, “What potential do artists have?”, “What can the world learn from artists?”, “How could the business world benefit from artistic approaches?”—I eventually began sharing my insights on my blog. I write regularly and send out a monthly newsletter on these topics. Over the past few years, this type of work has become a second, significant field alongside my purely artistic work. This branch operates under the name ARTISTA, which is how most people know me on social media as well.

What role do you believe art plays in society?

What responsibilities do artists have within society?

Art and culture are essential to our society.

Through their creative work, artists make significant contributions to new ideas and concepts. Artists challenge, provoke, and push boundaries through their work—this opens up new perspectives and forces people into discourse. The tricky part is that art is so omnipresent that we only truly realize its importance when its presence is absent. I often refer to art and culture as the backbone of society. A thriving cultural landscape, full of diversity and opportunity, is a sign of a healthy society. When art is missing in a society, the opposite is often true. In that sense, artists are incredibly valuable and important for society!

Which topics are important to you?

Is there a particular theme or message you want to convey through your art?

Human connection is really important to me. If my stage persona manages to make someone laugh or touch them emotionally in some way, whether it’s making them think or feel, then I’ve achieved my goal.

I hope that through my love for art, people are able to find their own connection to what’s important to them. I believe we all have our own unique creativity, wishes, and desires. We all strive to live fulfilling lives. If I can inspire someone, through my character, to find their own spark, then that’s fantastic.

That’s exactly what I do when I mentor artists. I help them develop and realize their dreams—that’s my mission.

Thank you, Maria!

Your Chance: Be Part of My Interview Series!

If you're an artist or creative, whether in painting, music, literature, or any other form of art, and you’d like to talk about your work and creative process, feel free to get in touch.
I’m excited to showcase the diversity of creative expression in my interview series and to learn from your perspectives and experiences.

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