Miranda Makaroff's technicolour island world
Painting, papier-mâché and trips to the beach with friends: Ibiza is a hotbed of creativity for the Spanish artist
L’OFFICIEL IBIZA: Your work is surreal, almost like a fantasy. Can you share your inspirations?
MIRANDA MAKAROFF: I’m inspired by women, by nature, by positivity and by pleasure. I create a vivid world where anything is possible, free from the confines of convention and establishment. My art explores a visual universe with no restriction, repression or censorship. A universe that travels as much as I do, bringing joy and colour and inviting constant questions.
LOI: You were once described in a magazine as ‘an earthquake of creativity’. Where do you think that comes from?
MM: I grew up surrounded by art and design. My parents, the Spanish designer Lydia Delgado and Argentine singer Sergio Makaroff, were a huge inspiration. Nowadays you will usually find me at home in Ibiza, surrounded by my work. I’m either painting or making papier-mâché sculptures, exploring my creativity. I used to do a lot of collaborations, but I am very focused now on my own path. It’s very clear. I am focused on the purity of my art and that is what I love.
LOI: Ibiza is a hub for young creatives. Do you have an opinion on why that is?
MM: Since the 1930s, artists from Europe have escaped here from authoritarian regimes. They came to the island in se arch of refuge and began to create this unique and special energy that can be found even today. Then, of course, in the 1960s and 1970s, the first American hippies arrived, fleeing conscription into the Vietnam War. I would have loved to live in that time, before the super-rich arrived. I think the community of that era had a great deal of respect for the island and its natural environment. Ibiza has always been a place where landowners and locals accepted foreigners and their liberal tastes. The incomers were gentle, and the mix was eclectic. That vibe certainly still remains in places, but a lot has been lost as well. I would love to be able to recover the essence of the 1970s.
Ibiza is an island of tribes, but the movement between them is very fluid. One day you may be part of one tribe and the next day another and everyone thinks it's great.
LOI: The island has a lot of different tribes - can you tell us what they are?
MM: Ibiza is an island of tribes! Of course, there are the ama zing locals who are the original islanders. They have moved with the times but are still the authentic heartbeat of Ibiza. Then there are the early foreigners who are incredible, often with spectacular and very original style. They are almost like movie characters and are generally found in the north. Then there are the Italians who go to DC-10 – this is a very recogni sable crew, dressed entirely in black, super-edgy and spotted a mile off! There are also the shamanic spiritual hippies. But the truth is that the movement between tribes is very fluid and there can be millionaires dressed as shamans and locals with a Marbella vibe. It’s all very fun – one day you may want to be part of one tribe and the next day another and everyone thinks it’s great! That’s why I love Ibiza because it’s very eclectic and carefree. We all just share a desire to live in a certain way.
LOI: Who or what do you think symbolises Ibiza?
MM: For me it is the people who have respect for the island, who do not want to crush it for their own personal wealth. People like me who dream of the 1970s! Obviously, everything has changed and has been modernised, but this can be done in a respectful way. Ibiza is rustic, Ibiza is nature, Ibiza is very special and beautiful. Living here is tremendously inspiring – even just by being less stressed and more connected. We go to the beach, hang out at Los Enamorados, eat supper at La Luna Nell’Orto. It’s a very peaceful way to live. I have so many more great ideas here than in the city. I would not change it for anything in the world.
Text by MAYA BOYD
Photography GUILLAUME ROEMAET
Styling NATALIA BENGOECHEA
