Nicola Buffa

What is your current food obsession?
Avocado. Just straight avocado. I went to Mexico in July so that did it. I definitely buy the organic ones because the texture's so much better. Oh, maybe I also have to add that I'm kind of obsessed with eating octopus. Grilled.

Tell us about the most important day of your life.
Today! Right now!

So you're totally living in the present then!
Well, I do try! I feel like that's the way to make the most of our lives.

So what else has happened today?
Well, I worked — I work Saturdays. I work for other tattoo artists. I'm the administrator, the manager to the tattoo artists. I'm an artist as my passion, but as my day job I assist other artists.

What is your art?
I'm a painter, sculptor, and a performance artist.

Is there a common theme that you notice to all your work?
All of my work is about consciousness. What does it mean to have a conscious mind, a sense of self, a sense of self-narrative?

Any narratives that have stuck out lately?
Yeah, well I'm interested in the fifth dimension which I think is where we're headed.

In what way?
Astrologically, spiritually, physically, mentally. I think we're headed toward the fifth dimension pretty rapidly here so the work that I'm doing now is just trying to depict the vehicles that I'm using to get there and kind of see what's happening in the future, and the kind of spirits and souls that we're searching for as we move there.

What do you think that means for society in general?
Love.

Who do you look up to?
I look up to my mom. I really think that she honors herself. She's really just always been herself. She's a painter also, and I really appreciate the sense of self that has kept her in this amazing youthfulness her whole life. She's always been the same self, no age can really touch her and she's so beautiful in every expression that she is. Because she's just on her self-exploration in some ways. At the same time, she took all the time in the world to show me the world. For that, she's forever young to me.



So tell me about your personal style and what you're wearing today!
These are my work clothes. I'm just trying to be lightweight and not carry a lot with me. Just to be myself and be ready to go. I always shop in color families, so right now I love all the teal, purple, and lavender tones and I like to mix it up with anything that can be a little bit punk, so if I can put a little punk on it I do, because that's where I came from. I also have tooth gems because they're too fun not to! I like to put things on for luck or for a feeling. I have this rose quartz orb that I'm wearing and these skull beads that are bone — both of these strengthen me. I have my coin earrings, so I can pay my own way, and my grandmother's ring that she smithed herself. And my tattoos — I always have my tattoos!

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