Yasmina Rossi by Marta Elena Vassilakis
Yasmina Rossi: "I wonder if true silence exists? May be when this inside flow of Life in the body will stop?"
BPP:
Identity: Who you are? And who you really
are?
Yasmina Rossi: I am a
woman, dreamer, adventurer, explorator , my name is Yasmina Rossi , I was born
the 21st December 1955 , the longest night of the year. I mute the
energies of Sagittarius, rising sun in Libra, Venus in Capricorn, Mars in Scorpio,
Moon in Pisces through passion for travel and Arts.
I work as model,
I am an artist in all fields of my Life, photographer, clothes and interior
designer, ceramist … I can do everything
with my hands .
I am
French born from Corsica & American citizen since 2007.
Being dual
citizen is for me a step toward becoming slowly officially citizenship of the
World that I always felt to be since child having being a nomad since baby
born.
I wonder
what will be my next passport?
Yasmina Rossi - photo by Anwer Sher at Dubai
Who am I really? I don’t know all of it, but what I know is that I don’t like conventions, lack of freedom, preconceive ideas, boxes, tags, frames, all that is too limiting. I am passionate in all what I do, in my relationships, I cannot do things in half way, I am generous, loyal, people can count on me. I always see Beauty in people at first. I am a little a” fresh” naïve.
Yasmina Rossi
I am consistent, patient, perseverant and sweetly persistent.
I love my shadow, all the things that could be considered as “not nice” regarding some socio cultural criterion to show. I am friend with this dark side of myself. I have one as everybody else , as we are as the moon with it’s unknown and hidden side ..It is Natural… The shadow where the treasure hidden is as in the secret cave under dragon’s protection.
Yasmina Rossi
I love nobleness and how this emanate in highness, true elegance of the heart.
I love randomness, the unexpected, the unknown, the mysteries. I always want to see what is after the next turn. I like to experiment but always in respecting the laws of where I am, and paradoxically that inner freedom makes me at ease everywhere, I never feel oppressed by rules of the countries I go like for example in Middle East, I use these rules as tools for my creative process .
Yasmina Rossi - Photo by Marta Elena Vassilakis
People who knows how I am free even with my body and nudity don’t understand at all how I can be so at ease there …
So who I am really? I think I am a Paradox, and live my life in constant paradox…it is like through what seems extreme and opposites in fact I am in touch with my wholeness, tasting every aspect, being the 2 faces of the same coin and be in balance and harmony by it.
I don’t love all the contrary of above …
Yasmina Rossi - Photo by Elen Barnes
A purpose in life? may be the one to be very present at every moment of my life, to let me cross by the flow, to don’t interfere as much as I can with thoughts , especially the ones who want to sabotage myself in my “crazy” things.
I don’t believe in “Missions”.
Yasmina Rossi - Photo by Elen Barnes
I think me as Human, I am in this body as it is, in it’s perfection with all the senses to enjoy life with Gratitude and celebrate it just by being happy, at Peace, glowing, I think this inspire people to become the same to enjoy their life simply.
Yasmina Rossi at the brigde - Photo by Leland Neff
I receive a lot of messages from women and men asking me about my secrets to age gracefully…there are none…just the one to do what I really desire to do without thinking of what people could think of me …in fact being like a child who don’t care but having healthy limits. Aging gracefully is about how is the spirit who animates the body.Curiosity is very important in the process of “non aging” and keep the body alive .
Yasmina Rossi by Marta Elena Vassilakis
Everything is source of stimulation for my creativity and this generate an always tendency to create beauty, like a necessity. I believe in sharing what I love and make happy people with what makes me happy, simply in the little things of everyday.
I really think that I am down on Earth to enjoy Life, create beauty that is for me the expression of the Divine and be a witness of it. I believe that is all this that makes me glowing.
Yasmina Rossi - Photo by Marta Elena Vassilakis
BPP: If you
could say something important you've learned all these years of your life, to
the other people and they were able to listen to you, what would you like to
tell them?
Yasmina Rossi: “BE” be as
simple as possible but “BE” …often humans makes things too complicated and
makes their life not pleasant and heavy, often because of socio cultural conditionment
influences.
Freedom is
the most important, real freedom in the heart, that is connecting in being
fully not having …
'Death Valley"- Photo by Yasmina Rossi
An other thing is to don’t put resistances, no control, that often goes with fears, no resistances to events that happen that it be giving birth to a child or a business project that don’t works…resistances bring sufferance, and don’t let the natural flow of the energy for the things to be smooth and enjoyable.
Yasmina in Death Valley - Photo by Yasmina Rossi
Trust that life always want what is good for me despite the things I would love to happen and don’t happen …letting go…dreaming of something without having any expectation, and letting do the Universe …I experiment this since child and it works and every time I dream, it goes from my heart to the Universe and I forget…and …I am surprise that things happen, how they happen and when!…time and space doesn’t exist in a certain dimension , it is just a human convention . 
'Death Valley - Photo by Yasmina Rossi
And as human I experimented the material world very heavily with having .I am in a way a contradiction in myself as I claim for freedom and lightness and I cannot stop collecting nature’s things to create . It is my dilemma … I see each stone, leave, piece of wood with it’s particular beauty wondering how it is possible to be so perfect in texture colors combination and want to enjoy it, have it , put it in value , make an art piece of each nature’s art works to share it….too hard for me to resist , to let a stone, a shell, free on the beach , I immediately see a creation with it , it is very inspiring and challenging to me in the letting go process.
"Luca" - Photo by Yasmina Rossi
I see that I made some progress as now I can let go and be more and more present without the need to have to create…more simple … I try to feel if there is an ampathy with the object , if this object really wants to be with me .
Yasmina Rossi & Ubehebe by Sandrina Rossi
I realize that as the painter that created figurative at the beginning of their life and goes toward abstract at the end I feel a similar path…I go toward simple, abstraction, but for this I was obliged to be really in touch with nature, with mater, going very close until it is so close an so real that it becomes completely abstract.
This phenomenon fascinates me, I think it shows our own path as human being, where our “shape” will dissolve and melt with Nature , becoming more and more light and ethereal while aging , en lighted at the real meaning of the word.
Yasmina Rossi - Photo by Renee Jacobs
From figurative to abstraction is I feel the natural path for me. Becoming an abstraction is the ultimate freedom to me,there is fluidity in it . Death fascinates me, I am so curious of what will be the sensations of that moment that sometimes I surprise myself to feel like an impatience to be at that moment …if I relate to organics functions satisfied with freedom and happiness it should be enjoyable, I often imagine how it could be , the feeling of lightness inconceivable in our consciousness as humans.
The ultimate freedom. I believe by living as much as possible present in the moment of an experience I, in a way, “train” myself to be present for that ultimate human experience that fascinates me.
Yasmina Rossi - Photo by Anwer Sher at Dubai
BPP: What is
your real dream, the one that keeps you awake at nights and if one day it will
come true, you will feel your heart calm and peaceful?
Yasmina Rossi:I don’t
have dream that keeps me awake at night… When I am awake at night It is because
I live my dream creating my art works, pictures, books , shows, writings,
clothes or any creative projects …
I can BE so immerse in this process that I
often don’t even know what day we are and sometimes even month! I have dear
neighbor friends who bring me down on Earth , sometimes when they don’t see me
for days and know the process I am in, they bring me some food, thinking that
may be I forgot to feed myself …and it is true that I forget to eat , not too
long but it is like I don’t need anything else , just water to drink and making
beauty to be fed . It is exactly like when you are in Love with someone …but
the other is the highest self, the Divine who needs to be expressed through Art,
to be manifested by “man-i-festing” Beauty… there is something festive in man
creation to celebrate and share.
I often
have the feeling that this “Thing” at works inside of me pushes me to create
and by that have a better consciousness of Itself… it is very weird .
Yasmina Rossi - Photo by Elen Barnes
I love when I am crossed by this creative energy, I really feel that I am in- spired like if someone is breathing through me , I am crossed by that tremendous energy and I let do , it is fascinating .
This happen also when I shoot, it is like I am just an instrument and that something is crossing me and tells me to do this or this …like when I am on a land , the land tells me what to wear or not wear , I never know what I will do before I am in location .
Or during the special moment of “suspension” in time and space when making a portrait of someone being in the eye to eye contact.
Or when my hands are busy creating on matter, like ceramic , sawing, house building…
Tedd Jelalian - Photo by Jasmina Rossi
More than calm and peaceful deep inside I feel a very healthy and soft “power” , it is an amazing feeling, it is like I am timeless if as human we can give a definition of what is to be out of time …it is like I am eternal in these moments .They are out of time and space , it is a very good feeling , it is like you can die now because you are fulfilled and this not even having accomplish the project …the fulfillment is in the process, the goal as no importance in fact it is just the catalyst to live the process and enjoy free of pre- conceive ideas the result …the idea of the project at the beginning of the process often change while creating , the in- spiration take command and I let do , don’t stop the process and it is part of me in all my tasks of the day , eating , showering, driving …everything …it is very strong when I do yoga , I have this voice inside who tells me “do this and this “ It always surprises me , and I always follow …it is like this I created the “flying Blessings”.
"Djamal Zoughbi" - Photo by Yasmina Rossi
“The Flying Blessings” multimedia expression by Yasmina Rossi.
The in-spiration process has been very strong in the making of the pictures of the exhibit of Eau Dela Beyond Surfaces :
http://web.me.com/yasminarossi/EAU_DELA~_BEYOND_SURFACES/PORTFOLIO.html#grid 
"Jack Guy" - Photo by Yasmina Rossi
BPP: How is
life for the people in your country today? What do you wish to happen to them
at to the people of this planet at large?
Yasmina Rossi: I wish that
people wakes up to have a chance to enjoy more simple things in their life,
only this will make their life more beautiful. I believe that if everybody take
good care of itself really, the world with have advantage of it.
How? By stopping
eating food, animal, raised with pesticide, genetically modified, chemical
products, producing too much, consuming too much, etc…if each of us does this sure that this
will make a change .
Hearing that
we have to save the planet Earth makes me smile… as human we are not even the
same biomass as worms and we speak about saving the planet… the planet doesn’t
need us to save her, it has been there before us and will remain after we have
killed us all by the results of madness and profit. It is Humans who need to be
saved from their unconsciousness and greed.
I am out of
the system as much as possible as it is, but unfortunately obliged to pay tax
and contribute by that, through other things, in the war business that is
against my idea. But how to do ? I am trap as everybody else in that system but
don’t want to complain limitless a bout this, it will not make any change , I
prefer rather to use my energy in more creative ways.
I hate tags
especially on fruits and vegetable and especially on the organics ones. When I
see them I think that there are special machine and places to create them and
all a business to create things that we will throw away…it is out of my mind…
so I go to farmers market with my bag to avoid to see them and avoid packaging…
I am always
impressed by the amount of non organic garbage, and all the energy required for recycling…
"Vartan" - Photo by Yasmina Rossi
I have been witness of a very interesting thing in Yemen about this subject.
Like in all the 3rd world countries there is garbage everywhere as there is no system to collect them and primordial preoccupations for people there is to survive. This dirtiness is pretty chocking to me …While In Socotra, passing by a village, I felt something was different and very remarkable…It was clean! I wanted to do a picture of the mosque and the guide told me that it was not a good idea because the Imam who ruled that village was very strict. He explain to me that Soda cans, water in plastic bottles, TV, all products from westernized societies where banned there.
From our world we will see these prohibition as attempt of liberty, but there it is what is needed to maintain and protect the environment from all kind of pollution. The village lives in autarky without anything from a developed system as we know; fishing , raising goats, vegetables, creating their own remedies with endemic plants, building houses in mud, all things that are completely naturally recyclable, coming from Earth going back to it .
I don’t use any drugs as well, pharmaceutical or natural . Hummm…I thought that I was not under any drugs until I discovered this morning in an article that the FDA consider that walnuts are drugs, so this makes of me an addict !
I really don’t feel to belong to this world…
'Leigh McCloskey" - Photo by Yasmina Rossi
I don’t buy news papers or magazines. I follow a little everyday the news online .They always say more or less the same thing ,they make you be in a non powerful situation and stimulate paranoia. I choose what I want to read and put energy in . Don’t having TV in a country like the US, especially working in the fashion industry as model and actress, makes me a real marginal.
I think that the news in TV, as well as all the ads seen in the medias are very low vibrations, they bring people down and makes their life miserable. They cannot be in silence and be in touch with themselves…how is this possible when at home there is a TV in almost every room even in bathrooms?
Having a computer and being married to it in fact don’t let a lot of room for a TV and time to loose in front of it. We have now this amazing tool at our disposition to use as an extension of our brain, windows open on the world, gigantic library of information. The computer is now in my life what was one of the favorite books of my child hood: the Dictionary and I can enjoy in silence .
I really love silence, that in fact is never silent, it is like time stop or takes an other dimension.The quality of silence is different regarding the places you are. It can be thick, light , velvety, always bring my mind to infinity; I love to ear inside this little subtle music of the particles at work, vibrating, like a light metallic warm sound. I call this relation to silence the active meditation, listening inside and outside in the same time makes you disconnecting from thoughts, bring you more in your body, re centering, just be on feelings … Silence makes me possible to feel that Thing inside who keeps me alive , to be in contact with it.
I wonder if true silence exists? May be when this inside flow of Life in the body will stop?
"Jack Guy" - Photo by Yasmina Rossi
So, I live in the US like I was living in France: marginal, in fact as I grew being child.
Most people in our countries are spoiled and have less and less awareness of it and takes all for granted and forget to be grateful for very simple things in their life like simply having a glass of water to drink .In some countries people have to walk hours to get some.
I grew without running water when I was little girl in Corsica, we had it as well as electric power when I was 10 years old . I went at the spring under the big fig tree with my grandmother who carried water on her head and went to wash laundry at the river with her , I had my own flat Stone on the bank and loved to meet” her” every time while washing my little clothes, or myself on it seeing all the creatures in the water around( I still end my shower by cold water may be in memory of this time ).
I never forgot all this, not because it was hard, my grand parents where managing a small cabanas restaurant without any facilities … no, hard is not the memory I have kept , just because it was magic for me to see all this world and have this water available with all what we could do and enjoy with it. My Passion for stones comes from that early time of my Life as it was a true love story with that one in a silent dialog. I still wonder when I see one that attract me, where it comes from , how it has been created, it’s path and this one connect me to the one of the river of my childhood and the life with it .
I remember how I loved to go with my grandfather to make growing fruits and vegetables in the garden beside the river and remember how he loved to found for me the specials places where were hidden the turtles ,lizards and snakes and let me believe that I discovered them by myself. My confidence in Nature comes from that time.
"Sarah in Paris" - Photo by Yasmina Rossi
People are not astonish by simple things anymore, they forget to be amazed like a child that discover something wonderful in just seeing, a plant, a vegetable, a fruit growing day after day , an egg opening , a flower blooming or just the light playing on them … they don’t know how to create a special privilege relation with all these things , a dialog, and be nourished by this.
I think when we are not in touch with intimacy with Nature we cannot see the wonder at works in our own body and if we cannot recognize and appreciate that in ourselves, we are not aware of the natural state and how precious it is to preserve it and it is the loss of life who manifest through us all. More we are present to the wonders more they manifest themselves to us, we become them. I believe if we are aware of this we give the most beautiful of ourselves before we die like the trees with their leaves falling in their magnificent colors at fall.
"Sarah in Paris" - Photo by Yasmina Rossi
During my years living in cities, the fact to have had this relation with nature at a very early age always made me able to go back with my mind through my memories to these places dear to my heart and be fed again, being in touch by spirit with these strong Elementals forces while far away from them in space and time . It is my secret garden.
Children in our countries are spoiled, have too much, their don’t know how to create with their hands toys to play, all is for granted .I don’t say that it is better to live like in a 3rd world countries, but to find a balance with more simplicity yes .
I saw also in Yemen lately, children making cars with old shoes and cans. It is amazing to see how when you have nothing you can be creative to do things with what you have around you …I grew like this , for us simple people , when we wanted to have something we had to made it .
My toys as baby where small pieces of fabrics, remains from my mother’s works as tailor .She told me how I loved them, spoke to them , organized them together , pet them , smiled to them as I was less than one year old seated on the floor…I always seat on the floor and create with fabrics , I am sure that I am by this in contact with the strongest forces that pushes at the beginning of my life . Going to the source.
"Sarah in Tulum" - Photo by Yasmina Rossi
BPP: If you
had the chance to be a child again, will you choose to do the same life you do?
Yasmina Rossi: I respond
in a way at that just above …it is that …yes I will do the same, I had a hard but privilege and rich childhood
that developed in me resilience.
For 10 years each summer I recreated in
Corsica this outdoor living during 2 month in summer vacation for my children,
they tell me that it is the best memories that have of their childhood.
I am in
contact with that child, that little girl more than ever. I neglected her when
I was younger but now I cherish her a lot and I am full of tenderness and love
and I feel this contact very precious to me, it makes my life very special to
myself, rich and beautiful.
Yasmina Rossi by Marta Elena Vassilakis
I always saw the mystery in the tiny little things. I remember playing just looking at my hands and wondering by what miracle they where mine. It was like I was an alien so surprised to be in a human body …I was looking at that body like if it was foreign to me and was amazed of how it was functioning …I always been interested in natural sciences at school, as well as Geometry ; later in Life I discovered Sacred Geometry and Symbolism of the body and how they are connected to each of them …I realized lately while creating “Primordial”, a show in progress, that in fact I am doing now exactly the same things as when I was little girl playing with a compass and wondering about the body mysteries.
Self portrait at Burj El Arab beach Dubai - Photo by Yasmina Rossi
Nature has been my mother and father in the same time, I learnt a lot from it, it nourished me, gave me healthy power, and still does. I got confidence in life from this encounter since very young.
The little daily miracles as the one for example of breathing…I remember when I was child being amazed about the breath ,wondering where it comes from …may be because I failed to die when I born having lungs troubles. I had bronchitis chronic all my childhood, coughing six months on twelve, so I was wondering what was going on inside how this was “working” and when I was not sick I remember that I really noticed the difference and enjoyed these moments of Peace , I was already in fact feeling “Grace “ and “Gratitude”.
Yasmina & Pajarito - Photo by Anwer Sher at Dubai
BPP: Which
exactly was the moment you understood what did you want to do in your life? How
did you feel at his very moment?
Yasmina Rossi:I am 56 and
I still don’t know now what I want to do with my life …I don’t think it is
something I can understand …or may be I understood that for me it was nothing
to understand … I realize so many times that life brought me easily in places I
was dreaming to go and to be, I realize very young the cause ad effect process
of creating with thoughts and this is a little a trouble, as I am so excited ,
stimulated , fascinated by so many options, have so many ideas, and as I can do almost everything with my
hands it is very difficult to me, I start things and don’t have enough time to
finish as I am launched on an other
idea……
From the album: Visages - Paysages. Photo by Yasmina Rossi
In fact yes, I understood at one moment something very important … that I could be ok like I am without being like feeling guilty of not being in only one direction, of wanting enjoying all the possibilities, yes this insight has been very important to me and arrived may be when I was around 40 years old. I learnt ceramic and adobe building , It is at that time only that I discovered that I am an artist… I never saw that evidence before !
I became at that time really friend with myself and this brought me more peace.
It was the time I was in a Jungian psycho analyze for a trouble related to jealousy regarding my relationships with men and when this has been enlighten, after 8 month of therapy, I discovered where was coming from that jealousy; this revelation has been a true delivery.
Yasmina Rossi - Photo by by Marta Elena Vassilakis
I discovered as well many other things like accepting to do things not necessary with purpose in life but just to be with the flow in the moment, just to do them when I like to do them just because I enjoy the making process, that it be clothes shopping or ceramic making … the pleasure present during the moment is may be the only purpose of Life in that special moment…
Yes like children when they play, do you think they have a goal, a project, that they plan to achieve something ?they just play and have fun , they don’t even think that they enjoy…they just ARE playing .
"Sarah & Leanne at Corsica" - Photo by Yasmina Rossi
BPP: Something yours: Do you want to tell us something we didn't ask you until now?
Yasmina Rossi: I think I
have told a lot of myself, may be more than you expected may be beside subject sometimes…I
just let flow … I am fascinated thinking of how my Life as been rich of these
little moments that every human lives, fascinated about this process at work in
each of us .I look at people and imagine all these small moments in their life
who makes them like they are often dealing with things not easy and pleasant
and all the possibilities to make their life more enjoyable if they had some
simple information.
It will be so much to tell and I already too a
lot of space here…56 years of a very full life …like my love for photography
and how I dealt with frustration and what good this brought to me … how I became
model?
Yasmina Rossi & J Right
Portrait of Yasmina Rossi - Photo by Djamal Zoughbi
What did this to me starting at almost 30? And how it has been a metamorphosis for the best making me becoming more simple , more natural , more true with myself , more honest and more taking care of myself, less judgemental with myself, more tender and sweet, more indulgent and more tolerant with myself and with others. How all this make me feeling people that I just cross in the street, very familiar, like if I know them since a long time, because of the phenomenon of projections and recognitions.
The world outside really is a projection of our world inside and how it is difficult sometime to be in touch with extreme poverty as it is not what is present in my Life. To Deal with the shift and see at what level, in what field, there is poverty inside of me that I cannot see and how that can hurt my soul.
"Sandrina Rossi" - Photo by Yasmina Rossi
"Yasmina Rossi at Corsica"
To end on something lighter, I am very amazed how I can feel beautiful now not only inside but out ! I was not feeling this when I was 20, 30 even 40 … I am really better in my skin now, and I think this shows …a pity this arrive a little late …but , since my 40ies I feel “sexy”, more alive, more IN my body than ever. So surprising to finally love this body at almost 60 while he is on the down slope.
All this is so weird and unexpected.
"Yasmina Rossi at Corsica"
My young sister , Sandrina, model in some of my pictures, who could be my daughter as she grew with my children same age, told me something very beautiful lately :
“When you where young you looked to me like a female wolf wild and powerful protecting her cubs, now you look like a female cat full of softness and love who enjoy herself with pleasure and make people desiring to enjoy themselves the same.“
It is the most beautiful and touching compliment I ever had …
Yasmina Rossi's Drawing created in Las Vegas for BPProject
If you want to learn more about Yasmina Rossi, visit:
http://yasminarossi.com
http://web.me.com/yasminarossi/Site_8/Bl...
http://facebook.com/yasmina.rossi
Or watch at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D92R7M9pO8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGvmfXxO2ZA
Photos © by Yasmina Rossi,Elen Barnes, Marta Elena Vassilakis, Anwer Sher, Leland Neff, Renee Jacobs, Djamal Zoughbi, Sandrina Rossi .
All rights reserved.
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