Carlotta Barella

What are the differences between a pastry chef and a graphic designer? Not so many, I believe! Born in Rome in 1994, I was initially trained as pastry chef, working in star Michelin restaurants around Italy, and gaining international experience at the Bulgari restaurant in Tokyo. As pastry chef, I learned the art of combining forms, colours, and quantities through the study of harmonies between different elements. Pursuing a long-held passion in graphic design, I then moved to Milan and began my training as graphic designer in the hearth of one of the most vibrant Italian cities in terms of design and innovation. The skills that I learned as pastry chef were easily transferable to the world of graphic design. Since I believe that multidisciplinarity is becoming more and more central in the contemporary world, I decided to apply to the Bauer school of design. The school is born under the direction of Albe Steiner on the model of the Bauhaus and thus works along interdisciplinary lines. I took courses on typography, brand identity, colour perception, software and work-flow as well as on the history of design, printing methods, and language of photography. The school has an international outlook, which allowed me to get familiar with different methods and approaches on the world of graphic design. At the same time, I also attended a brief course on HTML and CSS. Given my background, I believe Brussels perfectly reflects the values and ideas in which I believe. And that's why I'm here, in the midst of French language courses and Belgian chocolate!