From the other phone line, they hear the meows of Mika, the kitten who already lived in the shelter where Conie now lives with her partner, London fashion photographer Josh Olins , in Portugal.
“We met in New York. The city was chosen by me at random when I was 23 years old and looking for another direction than the one I had in mind. Buenos Aires . Beyond the harsh elements, his veracity made me discover a very interesting world and encountering sides of my inner diamond that needed to be polished.”
Jujuy, Argentina.
It's multi-cultural and this causes that immediately anyone sits as a family with people from foreign continents . And the stimuli are enormous. “It is incredible to be so young and to be in such an overwhelming city. I grew up suddenly. I have a house there that I frequent, although I fear that this stage has come to an end”.
Coming back to fashion, Conie (her official name is Constance) argues that the sector fashion does not represent her at all . Even with these, she has worked with firms such as Max Mara, jil sander, Elizabeth Marant , either Celine -in the last and iconic parade of Phoebe Philo for the Maison, no more and no less. Almost nothing!
“I am an esthete, but I think that the conversation and, of course, thought are what give meaning to the link between individuals ”. And she continues: “I never fit the standards and, that there were, it bothered me. So as a young girl, she would do things like dye my eyebrows so that I would somehow be rejected by a universe to which it did not quite belong”.
Campsite in the south of France.
However, her relationship with this firmament, now that she is 36 years , is from a healthier area, a sea in which it flows , in which she comes and goes as she pleases. " It gives me reins for my work as an artist . And I choose the jobs I want to be a part of,'' she defends herself as she fluctuates between painting, sculpting faces in plaster and stone, ceramics, and dance.
However, gratitude is important in your mental structures , and she gives thanks for being able to travel with the firms that hire her. And, above all, she will continue to have the necessary curiosity to embark on personal odysseys , to which she comes with a ultra light luggage . An example: The family journey through the northern Argentina , where she has not lived for more than 10 years.
“There we go, the locals, backpackers, when we finish our studies, and I couldn't live it when she played. This time, I invited my mother, my father – who are divorced, he clarifies – and my boy. We had so much fun. He is a destiny magical for his culture . We had one adventure beautifull and I loved seeing my parents together just to enjoy that time with me.”
Van trip.
And she continues: At first, when she was going to Buenos Aires , she returned to common places that had to do with my childhood or adolescence , to connect with that past left behind. "One day I realized that the way to return to my roots was to rediscover and open my eyes to spaces that I had not seen before."
EITHER his last walk through Italy . "My family is from there. Nona asked me to take the time to get to know her brother. I decided to fly to Venice alone and go spend a few days with him, whom he had never seen before. It was interesting to observe that we have the same blood and the same angels , without having shared experiences".
Enchanted Valley, Salta (Argentina).
With this passport, Conie would like to find a new home in country of the pasta and make room for a residence of artists . “During the pandemic she gave me to embrace simplicity and move away from permanent production. We tend to believe that this offers us guarantees.” That was the reason for moving near Lisbon.
And how is her daily life in that secret town , of which she prefers not to reveal the name? “After months locked up, we needed prioritize what is good for us . I mean, creating in my workshop, cooking outdoors, hanging out in the ocean, surfing, swimming, long walks by the sunset by the coast, dramatic and beautiful”.
Camping in the south of Portugal.
“Camping in a van in National Parks , hiking, horseback riding… Also harvest our vegetables . I planted hundreds of dahlias and other flowers to experiment with and make my own bouquets. I wish I had more time to play the cello . In short, working to find balance is the goal I have set for myself”.
And it is that “ surfing is the only thing that unites me with the moment, the energy of the water connects me ”, she explains. In fact, her plans for this summer go through a Surf Retreat 100% female , in Ireland , by Italy and to celebrate a friend's birthday in the south of France.
Winter surfing in Rockaway, New York.
In a long-term approach, the artist frankly admits: “Honestly, we are exploring the movements that we are going to make . One thing is clear to us: it must be a site close to something genuine like the nature . And at the moment it is here (Mika affirms emphatically showing the 'here'). Yes indeed, run away concept 'holidays'.
"It takes me to the one who waits for happiness and does not realize that he is a day-to-day journey . The idea of having leisure it depresses me, it reminds me of school.” Likewise, she escapes from the obligation to portray any practice or scenery seduce you. And, paradoxically, he learned that from Josh.
Torres del Paine, Patagonia (Chile).
“I have a feeling we need to record it all and he doesn't have that anxiety. Eye, the most interesting people I know they don't have an account Instagram ergo, they do not seek approval.” The talk with this humanist is dynamic, we jump from topics like two friends who haven't seen each other for months. From an uncertain future, we pass to a reality that does control . The art.
“I grew up in an environment where everyone researched with creativity , beyond their professional jobs – my father, the sculpture , my mother, the interior design …–. But it was my grandmother, with whom I had a beautiful bond, who inspired me the most. She painted in oils every day , in a small and bright corner of her house. I visited her often because those hours with her were based on deep, sweet and even funny dialogue. Sometimes we danced a tango with clumsy steps”.
Jumping off the cliff in Croatia.
At this point, she becomes thoughtful: “ It is difficult to understand, immediately, the influences that one has . Then, maturing past moments are collected and what is today is understood ”. Another of the ingredients that form the current Conie is the cinema that she studied at university. So, ask him about his films preferred is imperative.
She responds without hesitation with a list that transits to the summer : Randomly, she quotes Éric Rohmer; Le Bonheur, by Agnes Varda; The swamp, by Lucrecia Martel; An angel at my table by Jane Campion; The Sheltering Sky, by Bernardo Bertolucci; Theorem, by Pier Paolo Pasolini…
Listening to her references is hearing the very sensitivity whisper in the ear Saying goodbye, with poetry, she alleges that the trip What attracts him most is that of time. "The nostalgia it is an exquisite word , full of softness. I travel with my imagination constantly Because I feel safe there. I love the walk through the ideas , and for that desire to stay in a creative state , in which everything is possible”.
THE 10 SPOTS OF CONIE IN PORTUGAL
1- The beach Praia da Ursa, in Sintra
2- The gardens of the Palace of the Marquises of Fronteira (Largo São Domingos de Benfica 01, Lisbon)
3- The restaurant Prado Mercearia (R. Pedras Negras 35, Lisbon)
4- Independent Food (Rua Cais do Tojo 28, Lisbon)
5- Ramiro Brewery (Av. Alm. Reis 1 H, Lisbon)
6- Caza das Vellas Loreto (Rua Loreto 53/5, Lisbon)
7- Museu Calouste Gulbenkian (Av. de Berna 45A, Lisbon)
8- Park Quinta da regaleira (R. Barbosa du Bocage 5, Sintra)
9- Hotel House in Tempo (Herdade do Carvalho, Sabugueiro)
10- And a village : Monsaraz, Alentejo