WAYS YOU DIDN’T KNOW THE CITY COULD INSPIRE YOU
For Monica Carvalho, a Berlin based photographer and digital artist, transforming ordinary everyday items, such as the wheel of a car, into extraordinary and surreal pieces of art is a passion. “Everyday things are so familiar that we tend to not see past their function,” she explains. “There is beauty and potential in everything, it just depends on how we choose to look at it.”
While the daily hustle and bustle of the city blends seamlessly into the background for so many of us, for Monica it is a rich source of inspiration. “I want to offer a new way of seeing, to provide a new purpose for the familiar,” she says.
While the daily hustle and bustle of the city blends seamlessly into the background for so many of us, for Monica it is a rich source of inspiration. “I want to offer a new way of seeing, to provide a new purpose for the familiar,” she says.
Born in Switzerland to Portuguese parents, Monica discovered a real interest in the Surrealist movement while studying art history at university in the UK. The influence is heavily apparent in her photomontages, where two seemingly unrelated elements are combined based on a common colour or shape.
“As a kid, I loved watching magic shows, watching the impossible become possible, and was fascinated with dreams as well,” recalls Monica. “Ever since [university], I developed a passion for creating artworks specifically aimed at making you look twice. I do so by finding similarities in things that are completely unrelated.”
“As a kid, I loved watching magic shows, watching the impossible become possible, and was fascinated with dreams as well,” recalls Monica. “Ever since [university], I developed a passion for creating artworks specifically aimed at making you look twice. I do so by finding similarities in things that are completely unrelated.”
A favourite Columbia piece for Monica when she’s walking around the city is the Outdry Extreme NanoLite jacket - “I love it because it’s waterproof yet super lightweight. Rainy days are common in Berlin.” For hikes, Monica favours the Zero Rules + Lave Lake II t-shirts paired with the Titan Ultra™ II Shorts and Montrail Bajada III trail running shoes - “a must for hiking. I tend to be clumsy, but with these shoes I’ve never slipped once. They have a really efficient grip.”
Another key piece of kit is her camera: “I take all the photos myself, which is quite challenging at times but incredibly rewarding as it makes my art both exciting and personal.” As she strolls around Berlin, her surroundings not only inform her work but serve as memories of how they have touched her: “I share a connection with each element in my photomontages: I know the models, stroked the animals, saw the buildings and touched the objects.”
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