B.R.
“Bianca with her ballerina twin, Milano, Italy 1997� by Franco Raggi
CONTRIBUTORS Founder & Editor in Chief Bianca Raggi Art Director Bianca Raggi Assistant Editors Paola Teocoli a.k.a Einstein Giulia Prato Guilherme Magalhaes Basto Andrea Fachini Special thank to Indian fast food 66 Brick Lane Murdock Shoreditch Liverpool Street Station Policemen
CONTENTS Editor’s Letter
7 Selection of Letters and Illustrations
8 Interview and Photography
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EDITOR’S LETTER B.R. magazine is all about revealing many new and different dimensions of the troubled personality of Bianca (a CSM student) while living her alter ago for a week. This passionate, often surprising, intimate journal kept under lock for twenty years in Italy, contains her thoughts, dreams, and letters. Watercolor illustrations, some delicate sketches, self portraits and several elegant pictures, offer an insights into her creative process; starting from irrationality, which gradually becomes creativity, and finally reveals her inner nature. Giving shape to her feelings, choosing to emphasize parts of her universe, photographing her soul back and forward, the journal will certainly add great understanding to the charme of her unique vision.
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This was the first question I decided to ask myself when I started this experience. page 11
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Her image adorns the walls of my room, the pillows on my sofa, and the back of my mother’s favourite denim jacket. I’ve always been fascinted by her incredible love for life, her passion for love, her troubled personality and her desire for both men and women in her life. But most of all, I’ve been fascinated by the woman who struggled with pain most of her life but went on to become a brillant artist not just in spite of, but because of her pain.
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A deep inner conflict, several bizarre thoughts, the excitement, the desire and the impression of being seduced by life day by day. All of this has always made me feel really close to Frida Kahlo. As if she was the other me, inside of me, a hidden and secret sister from another time, an intimate self portrait. My alter ego.
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So when the alarm rings at 8.00 in the morning, here begins my Frida Kahlo’s week. My housemate who, inspired by my project, decided to dress up as Einstain, helps me with the hairstyle and starts twisting my hair until my head doesn’t look like a bird’s nest made with braids, thick socks and pink peonies. I’m already late! I quickly put on a floral skirt, a lace blouse, a mexican waistcoat and a green shawl over the shoulders. Wait! I forgot the key detail, the unibrow. Now I’m ready to go.
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Closed the door, I start walking to Liverpool Street Station and step by step the fear falls and the excitement takes over! I feel more confident then ever; people staring at me in the street, on the tube, at the supermarket, they all look dazed and surprized, and I return the nasty looks with a smile market by a ton of red lipstick.
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Six hours later, coming back home, the sensation of slowly discovering who I was, and not being afraid to show it, express it, paint it, scream it, wear it and be it, made me smile even more.
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