What does spirituality mean to you? It means searching for the ultimate truth, trying to understand what the Creation is about, feeling both humble and connected with the rest of the universe. Do you believe you are guided and protected by a force? Absolutely. I feel and see it in so many things. For instance, in my art, I used to think that it was me creating a piece. Gradually, I understood it was not the case. There is always a moment when alone in my studio, quiet in front of a painting, I would take a decision not a calculated one, it would come out of the blue. It would be a turning point for the piece. Where is that energy coming from, what is it? In those moments I am simply a channel, a conduit for that energy to be expressed on a canvas. Do you believe you have a special mission in this life? I think everyone has a role to play in this life. In my case, I knew I had to be a painter. I felt I had no choice. Even if I would be starving, this is what my life was to be about. I had an understanding with my father that if I was unable to make a living to afford oil paintings, I would use water colours. If they were still beyond me, I would use pencils on paper. If that was also unaffordable, I would use newspapers for collages.What is spirituality for you in your day-to- day life? It is not about rituals, it is first about trying to achieve a certain balance — not to get myself agitated, depressed or angry about things as I used to, and not to get excited either when beautiful things happen. It is about being on my own in my studio, in front of a canvas, creating.What is the role of spirituality in the world of the arts?Every piece I create is somehow a spiritual exercise — in the sense that I realise that it is not just me creating it. Can you tell us about an experience that shaped or changed your spiritual beliefs? I always had an inclination for spiritual matters. But as I began my career as an artist, I mostly focused on succeeding in that world — until three or four years ago. At that time, I began feeling the urge to be more on my own, far from the noise of parties and art dealings. Then I met one person, a very humble and wise guru, in a distant village. I had heard about him but was not ready to meet him until one day I asked a friend to take me to him. It was a revelation. My whole approach towards myself, my life, my surroundings changed. He is so knowledgeable. Above all, there is so much love and compassion in him.What would you like to be reincarnated as? One day I asked guruji about my past lives. He asked me why I wanted to know about them. He said, ‘Just live here and now.’ As for the future, of course, I would have to be an artist! If there was one question you could ask god, what would it be? I am a visual artist, so it would be: ‘I want to see You!’ On the other hand, I have seen Mona Lisa, not Michelangelo. So isn’t it enough to see the creation, why would I need to see the Creator?
