The Rosy-Cheeked Characters of Irene Raspollini

Irene Raspollini’s style of portraiture is easily recognizable, with her rosy-cheeked characters heavily influenced by pop culture and kitsch. A self-taught painter, she developed her skills during years of experimentation.

“As long as I can remember, painting and drawing have been two constant elements in my life,” shared the Italian illustrator in a piece she wrote for Artsy Shark. “These talents are a family thing and I was lucky enough to have been always encouraged by my fiancé, my parents, and my friends to improve my artistic abilities and express myself through art.”

“As a self-taught artist, my practice evolved a bit randomly at the beginning,” Raspollini admits. “As soon as I decided to take my art more seriously, I worked systematically to improve my skills, and above all to find my own style and narrative.”

As such, her creative process varies depending on her work, with her toolbox including anything from acrylics and watercolors to tile mosaics. Recent portraits also introduced augmented reality techniques into her work. “Thanks to an app for mobile devices, it is possible to make paintings appear to come alive,” Raspollini explained. “It was really a pleasure to see the audience’s reaction when I presented these works in London! I’m pretty sure that this technology will be used more in the art world in the near future.”

Her work has been exhibited in Italy, the UK, Mexico, China, Taiwan, Russia, the US and Austria, and features in public and private collections all over the world. But you can also follow her online, via Instagram: