ABOUT
The Principality of Monaco, the second smallest country in the world after the Vatican, has a glorious art history, where many famous artists such as Francis Bacon and Kees Van Dongen have left their mark.
However, while the Principality boasts the names of these masters, little is known about the contemporary art scene in Monaco.
This exhibition is the first attempt to introduce art in Monaco today through the works of Gerard Petitti, Zoya Enko, and Fabrice Monacci, three artists who have been given the status of national artists by the Monaco government.
We hope you will enjoy the beautiful and innovative world of these Monaco artists.
<Exhibiting artist profiles>
■Gerard Pettiti
Expressionist artist from Monaco. A contemporary version of Bernard Buffet in Monte Carlo. Gerard was a close friend of the French avant-garde painter Edouard Pignon, a deep friendship that lasted until Pignon's death. The loss of his one and only best friend led Pettitti to paint many deep and dark forest landscapes that express the melancholy and irony of the world. On the other hand, he is also a highly regarded artist by Prince Albert II of Monaco and the family of the owner of the world's largest yacht brand, Reeba, who have added many of Pettitti's works to their art collections.
At the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, Monaco's Pavilion, Pettitti was featured as the Principality's representative painter.
www.gerardpettiti.com @gerardpettiti
■Zoia Enko (*Changed name from Skoropadenko to Enko)
An up-and-coming contemporary artist based in Monaco, Zoia is energetically active in various parts of the world. He has held solo exhibitions in London, Paris, Brussels, Monaco, and other cities. He also exhibited his TORSO works at this year's Tokyo Art Fair.
He spent half of his life in Monaco, where he interacted with many famous artists such as Armand, Fallon and Ernst Fuchs. He was greatly influenced by the classical art education at the Ukrainian Art Academy as well as by cutting-edge contemporary art.
Before leaving his native Ukraine and moving to Monaco, he worked as an environmental journalist. In 2016, he donated a sculpture named "The Hope" to the city of Soma. This April, a similar work will be installed in the Chernobyl Museum in Kiev.
His solo exhibition at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg in 2013 was one of the highlights of his career.
www.zoiaskoropadenko.com @zoiaskoropadenko
■Fabrice Monaci
Renowned watercolorist. He is also well known for his illustration style works. Fabrice mainly uses Monaco and its surroundings as his subject matter, depicting the sea, sailing boats, palm trees, and beautiful architecture, with a touch of calligraphy. His style is characterized by always combining paintings with text. He has been commissioned by the Monaco Post Office to design a number of stamps of Monaco, and has also created a special map of Monaco by order of the Grand Duke Albert II of Monaco. He also owns the only art store in the Principality of Monaco with a small gallery.