My vegan journey began during my studies at the Academy of Belle Arti in Rome. When I moved in, I shared my little room with a mouse, who quickly taught me that animals should not be confined. Each day, Rufius had his hours of complete freedom around our room, and I observed more and more about him, and began to understand many of the reasons behind his actions. It was not only biological instincts he had, it was something deeper. Soon, we had established a bond that went beyond conventional logic. You might ask whether it is possible to have a mouse for a friend, but for the first time I realised something — if a mouse can become attached to a human in the way that a dog can, and vice versa, then there is no difference between the two. I had already been vegetarian for a few years, but after I came to that conclusion, I became vegan. Today, I follow a mainly frugivorous diet, and I am convinced that a healthy diet based on fruit is the best choice for the body, the mind and the spirit, as well as the wellbeing of the planet and its inhabitants.
Art is a massive part of me, and it always has been — it feels as if from the first crayon I picked up, I haven’t once stopped drawing. Throughout my life, art has been a constant presence — it’s my main form of expression and my safety net, as well as my daily work. I graduated in theatre set design, and currently work as an illustrator and painter — right now, I’m creating a book that will cover the subjects of plants, animals and people, combining my passion for art with my love for animals and veganism. I hope to continue creating art for the rest of my private and working life — I love to roam with it, and so I experiment using many techniques, but whilst my preference is for painting, I tend to draw more than I paint.
People often define my illustrations as having a ‘dreamy‘ quality to them, and I think I adopt a fairy-tale style that is especially appreciated by children, as well as adults who possess child-like souls. I have always had a wild imagination and I absorb so much from the world around me — everything I look at provides me with inspiration, especially animals and plants.
I travel a lot, and each time I journey to somewhere new, I discover a different part of myself, and experience a widening of my emotions. During my travels, I absorb so many stories, images, moments and sensations, and all of this affects my imagination, and consequently, my art. Of course, I always leave some of my paintings behind, sharing my vegan works and sowing the seeds of veganism around the world.