Where does your interest in art originate?

My interest in art initially was inspired from my family, as my great grandparents, grandparents and parents were great collectors of Chinese ink art, antiques and ceramics. Since young, I have always enjoyed contemporary art and design. I have been visiting ArtHK, before it become Art Basel in 2013, and developed a keen interest from there.

What first inspired you to start collecting art?

It was in 1999 while I was living in Cologne. There, I met a collector who brought the works of Jörg Immendorff, Markus Lüpertz, A. R. Penck etc. to my attention. This is when the torch paper was lit and I started to explore these artists, researching their background and artistic works. I started looking for artwork I could afford because my budget was, at the time, fairly small and limited.

Based on your experience, can you give an explanation as to why people begin to collect art?

I have seen different types of collectors one of them start collecting because it's a good investment and usually they hire art advisors to acquire art for them. Another ones collect art to express their own personality, they love showing their art and telling stories when, where and why they have acquired it. And recently I've met people who collects art to support it, because they believe in the importance of art. For them to support art is like a contribution to the better future of society.

How would you describe the program and vision of your gallery?

I am passionate about art and its raison d’être. The term ‘fine art’ implies the purely aesthetic, but what art actually does is reflect what it means to be human. In essence, human psychology has not changed, unfortunately, but what does continually change is the world around us. As a gallery, we are interested in showing artists who are profound and reflective, who make art that tells us something about the human condition by the way we relate.

Which function does the artist fulfill in society?

Artists serve as storytellers and explorers of the human condition, have fulfilled the important role of challenging societal norms, sparking dialogue, and offering alternative perspectives. They contribute to cultural enrichment and can be a catalyst for change.  transmuting the ordinary into the extraordinary, questioning the boundaries of predetermined values and interconnectedness of ideas. They invite the viewers to shift their perspective, and raise all sorts of philosophical questions about the nature of self, and the existence of a soul.

How has your artistic career progressed and changed over time?

When I was putting my most recent art book together, I realized that although the work changed over time, the common theme is color. The imagery has evolved and the technique has become more refined. I have studied color for fifty years and I know that colors produce a vibration, therefore we tap into that vibration.

What do you want your artwork to stand for?

By channeling my artistic focus into geometric Goniochromatic Abstractionism, I bring forth vibrant artworks that revolve around the graceful allure of geometry. These creations serve as a canvas where vivid iridescent colors and enchanting patterns intertwine harmoniously, acting as conduits for the expression of emotions through the varying frequencies of the color spectrum.

 In my "Photographic Narratives" series, I want to discuss the differences and similarities between Eastern and Western cultures. By combining photography with painting, sculpture, digital art, and other media, and using different techniques, I want to make the works full of vitality and imagination, and make them more intriguing and inspiring.

What does your art aim to say to the viewers?

Nature of our Earth is wonderful, that we have to preserve for the future generations, as well. Capturing one moment of this beauty by oil on canvas is my main task.

How would you describe your style and the work you create?

As I've mentioned in answering earlier questions, my works is characterized by metaphor and implication. That means I prefer to let my work speak for itself. I think viewing art is intrinsic to the distance of their mind the viewer experiences the art, accordingly, it depends on the viewers with different point of view. So I'd like to keep it open in that way. Sometimes silence is one of the great arts of conversation.

What’s the essential element in your art?

It is important for me to convey to people the thoughts, emotions and feelings that I had at the moment when the idea of a new painting arose. Impulse from seeing something wonderful, catharsis created by music, from everything around us. To convey the pleasure of beauty that is all around and is in everything, big and small. From the flight of the bumblebee to the infinity of Space.

Do you have an essential philosophy that guides you in your creative expression?

Art is all around us. We eat, sleep and drink art every day of our lives. Our clothes are designed by artists, our homes are imagined by architects. Nature is God’s gift of art to us. We need to see it and appreciate it every day of our lives. My goal is to bring that vision about in my paintings.

What does your art aim to say to the viewers? 

I want my artworks to evoke an invitation. That the viewer might feel some strange attraction, some energy that can be sensed, that fascinates, but perhaps cannot immediately be understood. I believe that the power of change is a part of life, the idea of metamorphosis is continuing. Through my art I want to embrace the beginning of something new. I also hope that viewers can feel the invitation to discover their dark side, feel the fascination to explore it and own it. That’s why the stories I want to tell always include a seed of change.

Please tell us more about your background and how you began creating art?

After high school, I began to read art magazines and visit exhibitions, mainly in Verona galleries.
At the time of school, I loved comics and drew a lot. However, despite being fascinated by painting and the profession of painting, I was almost in awe of it. After seeing an exhibition on Paul Klee at Palazzo Forti in Verona in 1995, I began my first timid experiments in painting.

What does your art want to say to the viewer?

I believe it is not possible to evade a linear process. To me, the consumer world is not POP as it is in Pop art, but a linear process that we are exposed to every day, and that leads to the most impossible.

(Most surreal) everyday situations. Basically, I don't want to dictate what the viewer must think, each of my works of art speaks for itself and the viewer should let his imagination run free when looking at my works of art. Regardless of my initial intention for a painting, my experience is that everyone sees things differently.

Spirituality and metaphysics themes are prevalent in many of your works. Can you explain where this interest comes from?

I was inspired by Alessandro Botticelli and Leonardo Da Vinci, as their works transmit a sense of poetic, mysterious and metaphysical meanings beyond the physical forms. The more I study those works, the more details I discover, and the more I am dragged in. I realized that figurative paintings could transcend figurative forms to explore so much more possibilities, not just imitating what we see. A good painting tells its audiences not only to look and enjoy, but also to feel and discover.

How would you describe FOA and how the idea to create it came to your mind?

FOA exists to shine a light on emerging artists through printed books. There's so much great work being made today by undiscovered artists, and our goal is to show their work to the world. I originally got the idea for FOA a year after I graduated from art school. I heard a museum director say that there were no opportunities outside of an academic context, and that statement resonated with me.

What is the origin of the art fair? How did it start?

Born in Barcelona, I have always been fascinated by Antoni Gaudi's architecture, especially the Casa Batlló and La Sagrada Familia. In 2010, I had the vision of holding the first-ever art fair in a UNESCO Heritage Site: the architectural jewel of Antoni Gaudi, the Casa Batlló. The idea was to showcase contemporary art placed in a masterpiece; to join contemporary art with a creative atmosphere. The experience of viewing and enjoying the best international talents within a masterpiece by Antoni Gaudi makes the experience extraordinary, memorable, unique and engaging.

How would you describe ARTUNER and how the idea to create it came to your mind?

At ARTUNER we focus on identifying talented artists and nurturing their careers. In order to achieve this goal, we have developed an innovative ‘hybrid’ art platform that stages curated selling exhibitions, both online and through an ambitious programme of pop-up international shows.

How would you describe the program and vision of your gallery?

The celebration of original and culturally relevant artistry. All galleries are essentially agents for artists, we like to think we acknowledge this rather than sneer at it: we promote our artists by using the most up-to-date technology and digital marketing methods. Our 'vision’ is to connect more people with contemporary art and recalibrate a relationship that has been showing cracks since the turn of the century; we would like to open galleries abroad and show that you don’t have to be a ‘mega gallery’ to have multiple sites and reach multiple audiences.