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Serena Fiore’s designs are cluttered with shiny logos and stacked with charm-like embellishments. Posting online under the username ‘unghieamestiere’ – a combination of the Italian word for nails, unghie, and “a mestiere”, a Neapolitan way of saying something’s done really well – her work leans fully into excess.

 “When asked what I do, I never answer with ‘I do nails’. I say ‘I follow visions,’” Fiore, who is based in Naples, says. Her Instagram bio crowns her a Nail Master, and the designs back it up – from fuzzy Chrome Hearts-inspired sets to cybersigil motifs, silver spiked nails, and manga girls in bursting bikini tops.

Despite the bravado at the forefront of her work, Fiore is clear about the way her medium is perceived. “Nails still aren’t widely seen as a canvas for art, but just a way to look ‘put together’. Even today, nail artists are often reduced to ‘just cosmetologists’, rather than recognised as fine artists,” she says. “Since I started, I’ve been pushing against that narrative. By letting my work speak for itself, I’ve been raising my voice a little louder, nail by nail.”

Below, we talk to Serena Fiore about growing up in Italy, what beauty means to her and more.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and where you grew up?

Serena Fiore: I grew up in an environment where, to be recognised, you often had to raise your voice a little louder. I always thought: ‘maybe I live here and that’s why no one values my art... so where else should I go?’

What’s your earliest beauty-related memory? 

Serena Fiore: Probably filling a glass with water, dropping colour in little by little, then swirling it around with a toothpick to create patterns. And finally, the best part: dipping a finger in (and sometimes my whole hand) just to sink it into that damn polish. It was a mess, but the most beautiful feeling in the world.

How did you get into nail art? 

Serena Fiore: Since I can remember, I’ve been painting everywhere and on everything, including places I probably shouldn’t. Then, as a teenager, I started painting on fake nails with only a toothpick as my tool. I trained at a cosmetology academy and later completed a master’s degree in nail art. 

What’s been your career highlight so far?  

Serena Fiore: My first guest artist experience in Amsterdam – that really opened my eyes to the world. I’ve always tried to escape to find my own reality, but I realised that first, I need to try to root it here in Italy, where I was born.

I used to say it didn’t make sense to open a studio here in Naples because ‘no one would understand it’, because it wouldn’t really be a beauty salon. For the past few years, I’ve been dreaming of creating a space that goes beyond the standard beauty concept. This year, that dream will become reality under the name SYNDR.

Describe your beauty aesthetic in three words. 

Serena Fiore: Brutal. Clean. Visionary. 

What is your current obsession? 

Serena Fiore: Anything silver and chrome, it’s an obsession I still haven’t managed to get over. I could easily be the tin woman. 

When do you feel most beautiful? 

Serena Fiore: Definitely, when I leave the studio right after getting a tattoo. 

What does beauty mean to you? 

Serena Fiore: To me, beauty is uniqueness. It’s what makes each of us stand out and be different. Nowadays, I’m actually happy that the concept of beauty is shifting away from the old idea of perfection defined by mass standards. Beauty isn’t just about fitting in or meeting expectations anymore. Beauty is owning your voice and your identity loudly and proudly. 

Who is your beauty icon?

Serena Fiore: My beauty icon is my mom. She’s an eternal youth to me, the one who passed down her love for everything beauty-related. She never clipped my wings, always pushing me to do what I want while holding my hand. She’s taught me to shout loudly for what I believe in. I don’t even think she knows she’s an icon, but she truly is. 

You’ve had an accident which causes you to lose your sense of smell. The doctors can’t return it fully, but can give you the ability to smell one scent. What do you pick and why?

Serena Fiore: Give me that smell of monomer. Or gasoline. Or paint. Now.  

It is the sixth day, and you are creating humans. They can look however you want them to. What do they look like and why? 

Serena Fiore: A part of me actually wants everyone to be able to change whatever they want about themselves. I want longer nail beds... or bigger boobs, or grey eyes. But it would be a mess because we’d barely recognise each other all the time.

Are you optimistic about the future? 

Serena Fiore: I’m cautiously optimistic. I prefer to take life day by day.