Creative director and artist Marta Grossi had just relocated to Milan when the coronavirus pandemic forced Italy to place the country on lockdown. Trapped indoors and unable to see her family, she began a new creative project to stay mentally and physically healthy. Each day, Grossi used her sink as a canvas for beautiful, yet ephemeral, watercolor paintings.
“Now more than ever we need to stay positive and to find beauty even in the unexpected places,” Grossi explains. COVID-19 and the scrupulous health reminders have impacted the way many people view sinks. The Italian artist refers to them as our “silent companions” during this unprecedented event. In fact, Grossi first began painting in her sink out of necessity, when she ran out of drawing papers and was unable to purchase new supplies at the store. So, thinking on her feet, she saw the stark white porcelain of her sink as an opportunity for a different type of art.
Grossi stretches her imagination to places beyond the confines of her apartment and uses her brush to fill the sink with colorful renderings of butterflies, flowers, leaves, and animals. “Every day I paint [a new subject] with watercolors and after 24 hours I let the water destroy the art piece,” she says. The short life of this artwork is part of the process. Once she completes the painting of the day, Grossi documents it with her phone. Then, when it is time to wipe the slate clean, the Italian artist records a video of how the water erases the delicate layers of paint—savoring the end of each fleeting illustration.
Scroll down to see more of Grossi's fantastical sink paintings, and follow the artist on Instagram to keep up to date with her latest creations.
Italian artist Marta Grossi uses her sink as a canvas for exquisite watercolor paintings.
She began working on the series when Italy was placed on lockdown and she could not leave her apartment…
When Grossi ran out of drawing paper, she decided to fill her sink with paintings.
Although each piece only lives for a day, the artist says the ephemerality is part of the therapeutic process.
Watch this cool reverse video to see how water washes the paint away…
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Marta Grossi: Website | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Marta Grossi.
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