How our Artist of the Month Simona Zecca is Giving Modern Portraiture a Fresh Voice

We are excited to start a new series of interviews as part of our Artist of the Month program! This initiative by the Women in Arts Network celebrates exceptional talent across various creative disciplines, offering artists a global platform to showcase their work. The program fosters a vibrant community of creators, providing invaluable opportunities for growth, recognition, and connection.

We’re excited to introduce Simona Zecca as our Artist of the Month on the Women in Arts Network. Simona is a self-taught Milan painter whose captivating portraits explore women’s strength, vulnerability, and inner worlds. She shares her creative journey in this interview, from airbrushing motorcycle helmets to creating powerful, textured portraits that blend realism with emotion.

She opens up about the meaning behind her use of gold leaf and texture, the evolving role of eyes in her work, and what she hopes viewers feel when they connect with her art. This conversation taught us about her deep connection to storytelling, courage to push beyond comfort zones, and love for meeting people face-to-face at exhibitions.

Join us as we step into her creative world, where every brushstroke reveals a story, a feeling, and a bit of magic.

Born in Milan, Italy, I am a self-taught artist and have always loved drawing since childhood. In 2015, I decided to follow the ever-present call of art, to which I began to devote myself full time in 2016, initially customising helmets and motorcycle parts with airbrushes and, at the same time, expressing myself through my paintings on canvas. In 2019, I began exhibiting my artworks and winning various awards. Initially hyper-realistic, I now express myself through modern realism and prefer female portraits, often using gold leaf and texture paste. My style is intimate and narrative.

1.  Your portraits blend realism and imagination—how do you decide what to reveal and leave open to interpretation?   

I would like people who stare at my artworks to embrace a quirky and unpredictable side of them, and maybe when they get back to reality, they’ll want to take a little of that with them.

It is very important to stand up and face it all with the belief that you can succeed without being afraid of your own weaknesses.

Simona Zecca

2.   Eyes play a central role in your work—what draws you to them as a primary expressive tool?   

Eyes have always been very important in my portraits, as I think you can guess a lot of stories behind someone’s glance. Nevertheless, I have recently been painting women with their eyes closed, as I would like to leave my comfort zone and try to let other elements of the portraits speak louder than usual.

3. You often include textured backgrounds and gold leaf—what meaning do these choices hold for you?  

I love textured materials and gold leaf, as they give my paintings more layers and depth and easily draw attention to specific details.

4.   Many of your works feature empowered young women, like Quinn—what message do you hope they convey?  

I love to portray young women who can appear brave and strong, even if you can guess their fragility. I think it is crucial to stand up and face it all believing that you can succeed without being afraid of your weaknesses.

I would like people who stare at my artworks to embrace a side of them that is quirky and unpredictable.

Simona Zecca

5. Your exhibitions span many themes, from Mantua to Milan and even Japan. What have these shows taught you about yourself and your audience?  

I love meeting people at exhibitions. No matter what they tell you on social networks, you will get the most real proof of how they like your art or not by staring at their gaze when they look at it live. The emotions you can get from these experiences are genuine and priceless.

6. Congratulations on being featured as Artist of the Month by the Women In Arts Network! How do you think opportunities like this help elevate your career and open new doors for your creative journey?  

Thank you very much for choosing me as Artist of the Month; it is a real pleasure for me! I am very glad to have obtained this achievement, as it will give me the chance to reach a wider audience and also to meet some more artists to talk to, which is always a very precious thing.

Simona Zecca’s work captures women’s quiet power and emotional depth, showing that strength and fragility can coexist beautifully. Through her textured portraits and thoughtful use of elements like gold leaf, she tells intimate stories that speak louder than words. Her journey from customising motorcycle helmets to exhibiting in Milan and Japan reminds us that it’s never too late to follow the call of creativity. What we’ve learned from her is not just how she paints, but why she paints: to make others feel, connect, and maybe even see themselves differently. To learn more about Simona, visit the links below.