10 Questions with Fo

Fo is a Bulgarian artist based in London, United Kingdom. He works in the field of painting and digital art with a particular focus on gestural mark making and asemic calligraphy.

Having grown up in a village surrounded by mountains and lakes, Fo had developed a strong connection with nature from an early age. This fascination and connection with nature had been carried through to his teenage years when his creative practice had begun, by engaging with drawing landscapes and then moving onto more abstracted forms of expression.

After graduating from high school, Fo had taken on a new adventure in studying fashion design at London College of Fashion in search of developing another tool of expression in his artistic arsenal. During this time Fo carried out extensive research and subsequently developed an increasing curiosity in Eastern philosophy, spirituality and the ancient art of calligraphy. After having worked in the fashion industry for some time, in 2016 the artist made a switch in his artistic journey by going back to his roots in drawing and painting and further developed his practice as an artist, working in the abstract expressionist field and rekindling his connection to nature.

Fo has had work exhibited in London and has been featured in Manchester based “Penny Thoughts” Publication.

www.fopetrov.com | @fopetrov

ARTIST STATEMENT

The basis of Fo’s work stems from his fascination with nature. His main strive is to look for harmony, interconnectedness and explore territories of consciousness beyond the human psyche. In his work, Fo focuses on our innate connection to each other and everything around us. The artist engages with gestural mark making and asemic calligraphy and subsequently letting the subconscious take over.

Eastern philosophy and spirituality are some of the prevalent subjects explored in Fo’s work. The artist believes that being in the present moment and learning from nature is crucial not only for the purpose of what he does, but for the purpose of living our lives as a whole.

The artistic language he uses is painting and in his line of work Fo uses acrylics, emulsion or ink on various surfaces such as wood, raw fabric, paper, canvas or found objects. Fo also engages in the creation of digital art pieces.

Essentially, one of the artist’s main objectives is to invite the viewer to perceive and contemplate the depths of our interconnected existence and its often indescribable nature.

INTERVIEW

You have an interesting story, as you left visual art for a while to get into fashion before coming back to painting. Could you tell us a little more about your background?

From an early age, I’ve had the need to create things. Whether that would be painting, drawing or collaging, I used to always seek different ways of expression.

Nature has always played a pivotal role in shaping me as an artist and even when I ventured into fashion my aim was always focused on drawing inspiration from the abundance of beauty and teachings nature has to offer.

I first studied pattern cutting and I remember tutors being confused as to how I could possibly think I could create a wearable (and sellable) garment pattern using the shape of a rock or tracing the patterns that flocks of starlings create in the sky. I oftentimes felt out of place and even later on working in the fashion industry, I felt somewhat restricted and was never really fulfilled personally, professionally or spiritually. I did learn a great deal while in university and I enjoyed the research process more than anything, because it widened my perspective and outlook on life and art. It helped further shape my artistic language and aesthetic. 

What do you wish you knew about contemporary art before you got started?

I wish I realised sooner that there is no right or wrong way of approaching your art and that we all have our own beautifully unique journeys, which in its essence, is what makes one’s work and its message special and distinctive.

Your young years seem to have a deep influence on your art. What experiences shaped your artistic practice?

I think my parent’s decision for us to move to the Bulgarian countryside after living in the city, really played a big role in my artistic development. Before we moved, I used to always daydream about living in the small village in the mountains where my grandparents used to live. It is the place where some of my earliest childhood memories come from - memories of sitting on the balcony of my grandparent’s house at night, overlooking a lake with the moon reflection on it, creating a path of light. I remember always having a sketchbook in my pocket and drawing landscapes and doodles of plants and insects.

Your work is highly gestural and influenced by Action Painting. Can you tell us about the process of creating your work? What aspect of your work do you pay particular attention to?

It is vital for me to paint in a calm state of mind and in its essence, my work is about contemplation and being in the present moment, which is precisely the state of mind required for it to be executed. Although the duration of painting is quite short, the mental preparation and meditation required beforehand is what my process is really all about. I have recently started experimenting with creating my own brushes as well, which has enabled me to reach an even more intimate relationship with my work.

Calligraphy and Eastern philosophies also come into play in your work. Where do you get your inspiration, and how do you choose your sources?

I spend a lot of time reading about Animism, Buddhism and Taoism as well as Native religions and tribal teachings and wisdoms. I also focus my research on traditional Japanese and Chinese calligraphy techniques and styles, by mainly learning from videos of great masters and teachers alike.

Books such as “The Fruitful Darkness” by Joan Halifax and “Original Wisdom” by Robert Wolff, have been highly instrumental sources of inspiration for me.

What is the most challenging part of your work? And how do you incorporate and mix all these elements together?

The most challenging part of my work has to be the constant question of whether the work that I am creating is also in line with the language that I speak. At the end of the day art is a language without an alphabet or specific semantics. Therefore, in my view, it is indeed a very difficult language to speak. Nevertheless, this very challenge surrounding my work also turns out to be a valuable learning experience and a way for me to really study my work in depth and make adequate refinements.

You also work with digital art. What are your thoughts on digital presentations, like fairs and exhibitions, for artists? Do you think these are good opportunities?

In my opinion, any opportunity to bring people together through art is a good opportunity. In the past year and a half, this new way of presenting art came more out of necessity rather than choice. And despite these circumstances, I do believe that this is yet another great advancement and a way to bring art to larger and more diverse audiences.

And what do you think of NFTs? Have you jumped on this trend yet?

If I have to be honest, I am still wrapping my head around it! Nonetheless, it is definitely something I would like to jump into, once I have done my research, as so far it does sound like the way forward for digital art.

What are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future? Anything exciting you can tell us about?

I am currently working on some large-scale pieces, which I am very excited to share soon! Working on a large scale has always been very enticing to me, yet a challenge, which I am more than ready for, at this point.

As to my future plans – I am currently focusing on expanding my network in Europe as well as in Asia and the Middle East. I am also looking into doing an artist residency in the very near future and explore some new surroundings and gather fresh inspirations. 

Finally, share something you would like the world to know about you?

As someone who looks for kindness, positivity and compassion in everything I do, I would like to share this famous quote by Mahatma Gandhi:

“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” – Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi