franz PETTO

Franz Petto is an abstract painter and digital artist who explores ideas around crises and conflict. In particular, Franz's work is a humorous response to the traumatic experiences of his early childhood and social issues of modern life.

Franz Petto’s History and Inspiration

Franz's father was deported to an extermination camp in Gakovo at just nine years old, an internment centre constructed by Tito, a former dictator of Ex-Yugoslavia after World War II. This distressing period greatly influenced Franz's childhood and, later, his vocation. In tandem with his training as an artist was his career as a mechanical engineer. In 2010, Franz was committed to a psychiatric hospital. This period resulted in Franz leaving engineering to focus on his artistic profession. Through his paintings, he explores his past and expresses ideas around collective trauma.

Training and Style

Franz trained with Emilio Vedova, a famous Italian artist of the Informel and Arte Povera movements. Large quilts of colour, heavy lines and geometric forms - often displayed in grid formats - abound in his works. His pieces hint at stylistic influences and tendencies of the greats such as Basquiat, Schuhmacher, De Kooning, CoBrA, Appel, Dubuffet and Klee. Although drawn from dark subject matter, his paintings reflect his sense of humour and are never without hope.

Exhibitions and Collections

Franz has participated in several exhibitions, including a solo exhibition in 2015 at the Tacheles Gallery, a former art centre in Berlin, Germany. Franz has become particularly well-known in the virtual realm, publishing pictures under the heading ART BRUT&HUMOR - Eating ART with a Spoon. In 2014, Saatchi Art invited Franz to join their Art Advisory Programme. He has sold many large-scale paintings to international collectors. You may also have seen his paintings in television shows as stage decorations.