BIOGRAPHY
"Art is the reproduction of what the senses discern in nature through the veil of the soul."
Edgar Allan Poe
My name is Francesco Mario Petta. I was born on 21.09.1992 in Bonn. I grew up happily on the Schälsick, the right side of the Rhine in Schwarzrheindorf. The love of art was probably hidden deep inside me all my life. I have been painting since I could hold a pencil. It took ups and a lot of downs for this love to flare up and be fully accepted. Every talent needs nurturing and so at the age of 11 I took lessons from an artist. I had the pleasure of getting to know realism. I quickly felt that this direction constricted me a lot and so the real, more artificial discovery took place in the comfort of my own home. Putting reality on paper was so forced for my childish sensibilities that I turned to abstract expressionism. This is where I felt at home.
As I grew older, I graduated from secondary school and the question arose as to the direction of my education. I chose the creative training profession of "chef". This kind of creativity filled me up and brought me great joy. But after two years of apprenticeship, the biggest challenge so far began, which overshadowed my love for creativity and art and made me forget it.
Within a year, a severe curvature of the spine developed. The name of this malady is Morbus Scheuermann, coupled with scoliosis. There were no therapeutic remedies that could help. The curvature had to be surgically straightened, otherwise it could have developed into a life-threatening condition. To be precise, it required two operations. The thoracic spine was stiffened in these. The following healing process was very long, painful and psychologically stressful. During this time, I was unable to hold anything in my hand and wearing a corset was compulsory. Eventually I returned to my teaching profession and successfully completed my training, albeit belatedly. Unfortunately, and with deep regret, I had to realise that this was not to be the end of my ordeal.
I was able to practice my profession until the age of 26. As a result of the operations, a connecting instability of the lumbar vertebrae developed. A chronic pain condition that cost me my job at the beginning of the corona pandemic. I was forced to deal with my health. All previous therapy options did not work. Painkillers and sports now determine my everyday life. Hardly a day goes by without pain. It seemed hopeless to find a new job. My psyche suffered greatly from these events. Self-doubt and anger gave me sleepless nights. During this time, I began to paint again. For the first time after all these years, I felt free. Although the pain dominated my everyday life, I was able to create unique paintings. I built large canvases and visibly shaped these pains. Professionally, things were also looking up again. Today I am working again in my creative profession and with this activity I can contribute to helping people.
The love of art gave me back my zest for life. There is no greater affirmation. I wouldn't want to miss this part of my life at any time.
When asked who my role models are, I could name names like Picasso, Salvador Dali, Vincent Van Gogh or well-known contemporary artists like Gerhard Richter and Leon Löwentraut. The truth is that it is the steadfast contemporary artists who have shaped my path and made me feel that art is the right path for me.
When I moved to Siegburg, I had the opportunity to create a place for art where my paintings are created. They are unique pieces of abstract expressionist and figurative art. Each work carries a part of my pain that is perpetuated. For me, art has become medicine and I want to share it with the world. By creating the pictures, I look at my surroundings and also myself from completely different ankle.
"The secret of art is not to seek, but to find" Pablo Picasso