We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Bruno Billio a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Bruno, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Back in 1994 I had just moved back to Toronto Canada after living a very exciting 4 years in Milan Italy. I was living with my mentor an icon of fashion and the who who of the 60s and working in one f the best design studios that collaborated with other super studios of the 80s and 90s. After such an experience of life and study I was so over qualified for a job in my field I could not find work in A provincial city like Toronto.
I found employment at a small itaian sandwich shop as a dishwasher and Barista. I was determined to be the best at a job that was fiat away from my passion of design and art. I was living in a large a studio in a forgotten part of the city full of artists and other creative creatures. On a day off if work I was feeling sad and and angry that I was not appropriated for my rants and experience in Milan. Not having enough money for traditional supplies for create any work I was struck with the most incredible thought that every thing around mi in my studio had suddenly become my medium to create with. The furniture, objects, light, gravity, pressure, weight, colour, texture of everything around me was the perfect and obvious choice to create sculptures. The rest of that day I spent making 6 incredible floor to ceiling sculptures.
On that summer day in 1994 I realize that everything around me is my creative medium, that was the day I declared to myself “I am an Artist”

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Back in 1994 I had just moved back to Toronto Canada after living a very exciting 4 years in Milan Italy. I was living with my mentor, an icon of fashion and a member of the whos who of the 60s and working in one f the best design studios that collaborated with other super studios of the 80s and 90s. After such an experience of life and study I was so over qualified for a job in my field I could not find work in A provincial city like Toronto.
I found employment at a small itaian sandwich shop as a dishwasher and Barista. I was determined to be the best at a job that was far away from my passion of design and art. I was living in a large a studio in a forgotten part of the city full of artists and other creative creatures. On a day off if work I was feeling sad and and angry that I was not appriciated for my talents and experience in Milan. Not having enough money for traditional supplies to create any sculptures, I was struck with the most incredible thought that every thing around me in my studio had suddenly become my medium to create with. The furniture, objects, light, gravity, pressure, weight, colour, texture of everything around me was the perfect and obvious choice to create sculptures with. The next few hours I created 6 incredible floor to ceiling sculptures that blew my mind and welt my eyes with tears of satisfaction, joy and pride.
On that summer day in 1994 I realize that everything around me is my creative medium, and that I could stop time, that was the day I declared to myself “I am an Artist”

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The rewarding aspect of being an artist is the ability to envision things in my mind before I created them in real time. Sometimes I see/feel no difference between my creative imagination and present consciousness.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My mission driving my creative journey
Is to have a place and position like that of La Girardina that will allow me to make large scale public sculptures and creative interiors. Brings together fellow artists and creatives to have ongoing conversations of are visions and working together to produce them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://LaGiardina.com
• Instagram: Lagiardina
• Facebook: Bruno Billio

Image Credits

BRITTANY CARMICHAEL