Growth from loss

Local artist Cynthia Giachetti, like many of us, has been through a lot of loss in her personal life that she won’t talk about—not to mention the horrors of Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf Coast oil spill. Yet, instead of wallowing in the hurt of these dire situations, Giachetti releases her energy through her work.

“My work deals with a profound sense of loss and the potential for metamorphosis,” she says. Giachetti doesn’t shy away from pain, though her work is not all doom and gloom. Out of loss comes growth, she believes. Her art is as relatable to the viewer as pain and loss are recognizable. It’s her balance of death and life, loss and growth, that makes Giachetti’s art so intriguing. Much of it can be interpreted as wilting from life, or resurrecting from death.

Giachetti is proud to note that “LSU,” where she received her masters degree in 2007, “is rated fifth in the country for ceramics.” Born and raised in northern California, she has won many awards and shown her art all over the country, and she now works as an adjunct teacher at Baton Rouge Community College and Southern University. In high demand, her work fetches in the $7,000 range, though she does create smaller pieces that are more affordable. Many of her pieces, like her chandeliers, work so well in residences that she is getting more work for residential design than ever before. She obliges these requests but doesn’t want to become strictly commercial. “It’s difficult to create fine arts that are meaningful, while still making money,” she says.

Much of Giachetti’s fine art works are installation pieces. She’s influenced by Baroque still-life paintings and times gone by. “I have an obsession with history,” she admits. “I love the repeated patterns and how those repeated patterns seep into contemporary life.” Indeed, Giachetti believes art reflects culture, and she strives to reflect that sentiment in every piece she creates.

“I’m fortunate that I sell everything I make,” Giachetti says. Having recently left the gallery that formerly sold her work, Giachetti now sells directly from her garage studio—and she loves it. “In the future, I’d love to have my own gallery and my own shop. I’d love to represent other artists’ work.” More growth from loss.