Elevate Talks: Lisa Vaccino
Lisa Vaccino is a Stockholm-based art director and artist. Her work is a perfect combination of nostalgia, the everyday and little details that produce an unconventional and calm feeling. She produces real paintings in 2018 and that’s quite a deal. And this is not it, she also works with ceramics and takes objects of her works of art into real life.
Can you introduce yourself, please?
My name is Lisa Vaccino or fredagvaccino on Instagram. Fredag means Friday in Swedish and that’s the day of the week that I paint. Two years ago I decided to work four days a week to get one day off to do what I love the most, paint.
How would you define your style?
Detailed yet naive.
Can you show us a picture of your painting workplace?
I paint in my little kitchen so I don’t think you would find that picture very exciting, sorry.
What is it like to work in Stockholm?
Good I guess. I don’t have anything to compare with, I have only worked here. Except from when I was an au pair in London, which was horrible. No I’m joking, kind of. Stockholm is nice. It’s small but creative.
You work as an art director for an advertising agency. Which is the role art plays in your life? What do you expect from your art pieces?
At the moment it’s more of a hobby but in the future I would love to paint Monday to Friday. I don’t expect anything, I’m just happy that some people seem to like them.
You also work with ceramics. How did you get started? When do you choose to work with them and when to paint?
I started to work with ceramics on an evening course. I felt like I wanted to do some of the details from my paintings for real, like objects you could actually use. My Lidl house for example is also candle lantern and my Bic lighter a vase. In the future I want to do more ceramics. I just love it.
On a scale from 1 to 10, how important is social media for your work? Why?
In the beginning painting was a way for me to get some creative space without clients, budgets or limited timeframes. Now I would say that social media is probably an 8. Or maybe a 6. I don’t think it’s that important but it’s an interesting way to see what people like. I love the fact that my Instagram has become my private gallery where I can show my latest work whenever I want.
If you had to put together your 3 favorite paintings, which would they be?
My urinating friends, the shoplifter and “Cutting gym class with class”.
Who or what inspires you?
Realism, small towns, nostalgia.
What has been your biggest challenge?
To actually do this, paint one day a week. I was so scared when I made the decision. I mean I really wanted to accomplish something, show my colleagues that it wasn’t just a silly thing I wanted to try. I needed to do this.
How do you see yourself in 12 months?
Then I’m a mother of three! Omg, it’s crazy. But hopefully, I’ll get some time with my pencils now and then.
How do you see yourself in 5 years?
Hopefully painting more then one day a week.
Bonus track: Could you recommend any TV series/ comics/ movie/ song/ artist/ etc?
I think everybody has seen it by now but I have to say the TV series Gomorra. It’s the best TV series I’ve ever seen. It’s so realistic and brutal yet so beautiful. I just love the photo and the music in it. And if you like to dance to Swedish electronic music I can recommend my brother Familjen and his latest record “Kom” :)
