>>>VALENTINA LEO aka MRSLOVE

Performance artist, dancer, teacher, director, choreographer, world traveler and Madame Zingara’s creative vision and inspiration.
Valentina was born in Milan the year that the Beatles broke up, Janis Joplin died and the floppy disc was invented. There she completed a degree in art and advertising before moving to London in 1990 where she worked as a fashion photographer for five years.
Becoming disenchanted with the superficial nature of the industry, Valentina teamed up with independent writer, Betti Marenko and their collaboration gave birth to in.sect.corp, “a permanent laboratory of research and documentation of the body’s explorative journeys into the unknown”.

After an eighteen month sojourn of self-discovery to India and Zanzibar, Valentina finally arrived in Cape Town in 1997 and never left...!
She regularly travels abroad to collaborate on various commercial and art projects. In Cape Town Valentina has been involved in both the movie and commercial industries as well as collaborated with several local productions and artists, such as Mark Routenbach Splendid and award-winning film maker-Kali van der Merwe.

In 2006/7, together with Richard Griffin, Valentina conceptualized and directed Madame Zingara’s very first show: Arabesque. 
She went on to direct Rosario,  in 2007/8 , 'The LOVEMAGIC TouR' in 2010
 ( a sold-out show that run for 15 months !)  and the latest production
EL MILAGRO- 2012 , currently showing at the Theatre of Dreams.

MRSLOVE conceptualized and directed "CABARET EXTRAVAGANZA"in december 2010- for the cape town's well renewed gentlemen's club MAVERIKS, creating a sensuous indulgent burlesque feast for the senses.

In 2011 MRSLOVE was invited by SEXPO to present a body of work that she called "THE PUSSY ROOM " -a journey into acrobatic eroticism .

Leo’s visual work is about what real life has to offer. It is a constant exploration around the boundaries of bodies, dreams and desires...particularly her own. . Dressing up in surrealistic colours and credos, she creates a mystique around her doing. She has been using her visionary art to elaborate extraordinary performances that please the eyes, touch the senses and inspire the spirit .
Currently she is madly in love with the Moon, and Hopes one day to make a living out of late sleeping....!