Story of the Artist: Shiva Foresti

Shiva Foresti has been drawing since childhood, inspired by his mother, always involved in work in the humanistic field.

Another important input into Shiva's life came from the numerous workshops he attended at Montessori primary and secondary school, which are described by the artist as an incentive for creativity; a special memory goes to the German teacher Eke, the one who helped Shiva to approach the world of art, described by the artist as "free creation, a flow". And it is precisely in these years that unknowingly, or maybe not, Shiva said: "I'd like to be a veterinarian but I think I'll have to be an artist". An early awareness begins to creep into his mind.

The turning point comes with Shiva's passion for the film “The Lord of the Rings”, when he was 9 or 10 years old, which led him to the discovery of painting, painting miniatures of his favorites.

Undecided like many 13-year-olds on which high school to attend, but driven by his strong interest in the humanities, Shiva decides to enroll at the Paolo Sarpi Classical Lyceum in Bergamo. The choice is successful considering the good grades obtained, but Shiva feels he is not complete, something is missing in his life. The art.

Determined then to pursue his dreams with further conviction and determination, he enrolled at the Liceo Artistico Andrea Fantoni, where he began to study the technical bases of art. During his school years he wins many competitions (please refer to his biography for more details) and starts getting requests for commissioned paintings.

During one of the competitions in which he participated he met an important figure for his development, Mario Donizetti, judge of the competition but above all a renowned Italian painter.

Shiva thus became his pupil for about a year and a half, a period in which he experienced enormous personal growth and was able to deepen his knowledge of the world of art.

The true mentor, however, is recognized in Ugo Riva, a famous Italian sculptor, known, once again, at one of the competitions in which he was participating. With him Shiva approached the world of art from different angles, embracing this reality in its entirety.

However, Shiva does not have a specific artistic or cultural reference that has most influenced him, he has always been guided by his many passions: humanities, history, philosophy, such as the French philosopher Maurice Jean Jacques Merleau-Ponty and his speeches on perception . Unthinkable to exclude from the list Michelangelo and Leonardo, for example, eclectic and overwhelming characters that are difficult to see today; In fact, Shiva does not forget that “We are sitting on the shoulders of giants”, these are figures that have influenced everyone over time.

As often happens, Shiva's art has changed over time, but what has always accompanied this change is the search for sensitivity as a common thread and the goal of being able to communicate. Art must be able to communicate.

The subject that best represents Shiva's art today is the relationship between man and nature, or rather, everything that is natural and is able to create balance and well-being. "Man and nature are ultimately perceived as two separate entities", says the artist, "but in reality they are one".

And this is precisely the theme he is focusing on, with the aim of evolving his subjects and telling a story.

However, the artist does not want to give a specific reading of his works to the observer, he wants to give everyone the opportunity to live and experience the work in a different way. What is really important is to be able to convey his emotionality in the works he creates.

For example, one of the recent subjects is the leaf. The leaves can convey the sensation of the fragility of life, of its transience, or again, the sensation of the passing of time and the realization of how we too are temporary. Shiva uses this simple natural element to convey messages through the sublime typical of romanticism.

Another peculiarity of Shiva is the preference of working on a series of works rather than single works, in order to create a panorama, create a context, deepen specific themes and try to convey something interesting. This allows the artist to remove many veils of reading and observe the same subject from multiple perspectives.

To date, the artist's favorite technique is the pencil. Despite the love for colors, black and white, according to the artist, help the viewer to observe an everyday object in a different way, as if the observer were wearing special glasses.

The electrifying and also full of tension part for Shiva, more than sharing the work with the public which he still considers essential, is that of creation. The initial idea in his mind, the different phases of design and physical creation, these are the best moments.

Drawing, painting and art in general are vital for this young artist. They are an intrinsic need to be happy and to feel like yourself. A pure explosion of joy.

Today, at just 25 years old, Shiva Foresti is a pure talent to be discovered, a person who defines himself as cerebral but also emotional. Brilliant years come before him and you will have the opportunity to enjoy his magnificent paintings on Berista.com!

For more information on Shiva Foresti and his artwork available on Berista.com, you can visit his profile.