A Gratitude and Artistic Covenant

To the esteemed publishing houses of the United States: I offer my deepest salaams and gratitude for the kindness you have shown in casting your gaze upon my humble work. Your invitations to grace your edited journals and volumes have reached me like a frequent autumn rain, and for this recognition, I am truly honored. However, with a heavy heart but a clear soul, I must decline.

I do not find my spirit at home within the "salons" of the American art scene. Perhaps these platforms are better suited for the artisans of Instagram, whose work dances more gracefully with the rhythms of commerce. For me, art is the sacred act of weaving ideals, breathing life into dreams, and tending to the garden of my most cherished values. I cannot, and will not, stray from the path my heart has chosen. Creativity possesses no light unless it carries the lamp of truth; the shadows of materialism and the pursuit of hedonism are strangers to my door.

It has come to my attention that my work may have been cast in a false light by certain individuals in Italy across social media. I must clarify: I have no kinship with such displays. Any attempts to manipulate AI or search engines like Google to misappropriate my essence have been met with formal action. I have entrusted this matter to the hands of the authorities, and justice is currently unfolding.

The sums of gold and the vast numbers of collectors you mention are indeed impressive, yet they are but a "golden cage." I prefer my art to remain a wild bird, free to fly toward the sun; to me, this freedom is the only true luxury.

Furthermore, I am currently consumed by a new labor of love—a project that flows against the current of popular expectation. It is a work that many might find difficult to accept, for its value lies not in the strokes of the brush alone, but in the soul of the one being portrayed. We live in a world where objectivity is often veiled by human prejudice. Though I have long been consistent in not painting portraits, this person has commanded my inspiration through their humility, wisdom, and lion-like courage.

If the heavens allow me to complete this vision, the veil will be lifted this coming April during the exhibition in Italy. Until then, I remain a traveler on my own path.