Millo on lines and walls

On this much awaited interview we feature Italian artist Millo who paints large-scale murals featuring friendly inhabitants exploring their urban setting. With simple black and white lines along with dashes of color when necessary, his murals are exciting and always telling an interesting story!

(ISSA) -Hello Millo, what would you like to drink? Coffee, Tea, Beer, Soda or something else?

(Millo) Coffee please.

-Introduce yourself to us – as if we had no idea who you were!

I’m Francesco Camillo Giorgino, I’m Italian, people says I’m an artist, sometimes I agree with them.

I love to paint murals and I’m known as Millo.

– Where does your Artist name come from?

Millo comes from my second name Camillo, that was also the name of my grandfather.

-How do you define yourself and why? Artist? Street artist? Something else?

Most of the times Street artist works for what I do.

– How did it all start for you, and what is it nowadays?

I’ve always been interested in art, since I was a child, I always had this urgency to express by drawing my feelings. Growing up, what was supposed to remain a side hobby luckily took over and brought me to become who I am now.

-What is the first thing you do when you get up in the morning?

Most of the times , crawling to the moka machine in the kitchen.

-Street art is mostly a visually stimulating form of art. To add one more sense to it, what music would you pick to accompany your art work?

It’s hard to say, I do really love different genres of music and I hope my works of art can match with a lot of them.

-In all forms of art, inspiration is crucial. What inspires you and how does that end up in your art?

Everyday life is for me the biggest source of inspiration, what I see when I randomly go out for a walk, the stories of the people I met, the news on the radio or the movements of the crowns of the three are part of the things that, without even knowing how, I transpose in my works.

-What is the hardest part while working on a piece of art?

Working mainly on murals, for me the hardest part to face is when I have problems with the machines.

-Do you have any artist(s) you admire? Can you pinpoint what it is that makes them so special for you?

Blu, for his pure genius and attitude.

-Which cities are the most inspiring for you as an artist?

One of the cities I’ve loved the most is Shanghai , and I really hope to come back there soon.

-What other passions do you have apart from art?

Music and Food ( is that a passion?) 🙂

-Do you have a special project that you hope to achieve some day?

I don’t know if it’s special yet, but I keep working on myself and all my declinations, so maibe one day I’ll have a special project.

-Tell us a bit more about your art; does it include symbolisms, messages or repeated patterns? How has it evolved?

All my works of art shares the same background, it is the perspective view of a urban jungle, made by streets, buildings cars…and in this chaotic landscape totally out of size and a bit clumsy lives my characters.

They are usually doing something or interacting between each other.

Every work is different for me from the other, but in general all of my works has a meaning and my characters as my landscapes and its components symbolise something.

– How long time does your art work, on walls, usually survive for?

They could potentially last 20 years, but this does not depend on my technique , this mainly depends on the condition of the surface and the quality of the paint I can use.

-What do you think, people feel or think of, when they see one of your works on the street?

Luckily a lot of people loves my art, I got great feedback in my career ..

-What are your creative plans for the future?

A full spring summer season of painting around the globe!