Rebecca Bonaci’s charismatic personality is evident the moment you meet her. Dressed in colourful attire and a warm smile lighting up her face, the 22-year-old is full of energy.
Her passion for art came at a relatively young age - “I have always loved to draw, I never played with dolls. I remember my dad showing me how to draw these tiny muscular men he had a habit of drawing.”
Rebecca’s works of art, which she regularly posts on her Facebook wall, have been grabbing my attention (and many others’) for a while now. Her recent projects however, have been one eye-catcher: she is personalising motorcyclists’ helmets; triggering the likes of many.
Some feature well-known bands such as The Beatles, Pink Floyd and Guns and Roses.
“The idea started when my boyfriend gave me a helmet he had to draw on. It took me a while to do but I enjoyed every second of it. Once it was ready, I uploaded a photo online, and I had very good feedback. The project took off from there…”
In May, Rebecca’s personalised helmets will be displayed at the Bike Shed in London.
The 22 year-old gives life to any surface she comes across. Recently, she transformed a plain old garage door into one striking mural; she also designs wooden boxes. “I try my best not to stick to a particular medium, but media are chosen depending on the concept. I love to get out of my comfort zone and experiment with new content and techniques.”
The young artist claims she gets inspired while working. “The more art I create, the more ideas come to mind. I’m already thinking of my next project even as I’m working on the current one.”
Society’s expectations often guide youngsters into pursuing academic studies. Schools allocate little time for art, music and drama classes; and local artists often lament that they have been discouraged to engage in such a career.
Rebecca’s mum has always encouraged her daughter’s passion for art, although back in secondary school she did try to guide her towards Home Economics class instead. “Let’s just say I’m a better painter than I am a cook,” she says smiling.
Rebecca says she never really settled for the career she wants to pursue, however she embraces a positive approach. “I think of the present, do what I enjoy doing and go with the flow. That being said, art has always been a constant in my life.”
She attended her first art classes in secondary school and then went on to get her degree in Fine Arts from the MCAST Art & Design institute. Today, she aspires to continue her artistic career – “I want to experience different cultures, and meet interesting people from all over the world. Although I am interested by various well-known artists, it is the people I meet on a day-day basis who inspire me most. Their experiences, entangled with mine develop my works of art.”
Working in the fashion industry as her full time job, Rebecca gets creative every possible chance she gets – be it after work, or during the night. She also takes time to hand-make personalised gifts for her loved ones.
I ask her if she finds it difficult to part with her artwork after taking so much time to complete. “As long as I know it will be appreciated, it only encourages me to create something new.”