MW: Would you ever return to Somalia?

RB: We still have what's left of family property in Somalia. My father held on to Somalia until the bitter violent end, without sparing himself or my mother any of the horrors of that kind of insane violence. He felt that he was part of the fabric of the city of Mogadiscio. He was intent on dying there, in the place he loved so much, with the people he loved. My grandparents had settled in Somalia when it was an Italian colony. The end to my parent's saga was that they ended up severely wounded, beaten and dispossessed in a refugee camp in Mombasa, and then shipped off to Italy, having lost all they had lived for. My perspective on Somalia and the general Somali attitude is rather bleak. As a people they seem to have chosen tribalism, exclusion and violence as their modus operandi, and the results are obvious to the rest of world. Not much good comes out of a society that embraces hostility as its mainstay. They have destroyed every bit of infrastructure that previous generations had built, and have put themselves at the mercy of foreign aid. I think going back would make me terribly sad. I have lost too many people whom I considered family to this apocalyptic chaos. It would be a place inhabited by ghosts for me. I am happy where I am and with what I do. I would consider taking my children, who grew up with my stories of an exotic childhood, just to show them how a society that goes astray can devour itself so fast. It would be a good moral lesson, and a lesson in gratitude for the wonderful country we live in now.

MW: How would you describe your artistic style?

RB: The artistic style used for decorative purposes onboard the MSC cruise ships is an amalgam of design, decorative and abstract principles.

MW: How did you come to display your art work on MSC cruise ships?

RB: Through family and work connections. I worked briefly at the MSC Boston offices, and people were aware that I was an artist. I had a habit of sending gifts of paintings to people, and got noticed after someone received a Christmas gift they liked. They then informed me that MSC was going to build cruise ships and that they would like to try placing a painting or two onboard the ship. One thing led to another. I struck a good friendship with their main architect and he pushed for more work onboard their ships. We started off small and then pushed the concept of integrating the artwork as part of the overall design of the ship's public spaces. The concept was very successful. We broke away from the idea of the cute little matted prints in a gilded frame, and went for boldness, luxury and class.

MW: Where do you get your inspiration for your pieces? Does the cruise line give you guidelines and/or a theme?

RB: My inspiration comes from everywhere. I have stacks of books on textile design and decoration. I love pattern. The ship designer, the architect and I are a team. They select color schemes and the overall feeling and idea for a space, then they share their vision with me and I come up with a few sketches, and we go from there. It's a very organic collaboration. A great way to work together. These are committed, passionate people who care for every detail of the design. They understand the aesthetic power of artwork that is customized for a particular space, and what it contributes in terms of atmosphere and feeling. If you go on board an MSC ship, you feel like the decor was made to fit the artwork, when in fact we work in the opposite manner. I think this distinguishes MSC Cruise ships as being elegant and design oriented. I personally love the feeling of a comfortable space, where the artwork sits gracefully as part of a whole, and does not look like it was picked through a designer's catalogue or collection. The effect is that of customized, relaxed, elegant style, like what one would feel on a luxury yacht, or a beautifully crafted home interior.

MW: Which cruise lines and ships do you have artwork displayed?

RB: I have worked only with MSC Cruises.

MW: Is your artwork available for sale to the general public?

RB: My artwork is not for sale to the general public. The work I create is specific to a particular decor.

Below are more samples of Raimondo's work onboard MSC cruise ships.  Enjoy!

 Courtesy of Raimondo Briata for MSC Cruise Ships