Can you tell me about your childhood and what it was like for you to grow up?

 Growing up has been very hard for me, both for domestic reasons, and for my family’s economic situation. When I was five years old I have been put into the local boarding school, when I was eight my parents divorced and I was forced to choose with whom I wanted to live. This is only a single mention of my upbringing. Becoming an adult has been a sacrifice day by day.

 What did your parents do for a living?

 I was born from Ricci Ottavio and Paone Pasqualina, after my birth (1958) my parents were very poor. They were born in Scapoli (a small village near Isernia, now very famous for bagpipe craft) and they had to play the bagpipe and beg for small amounts of money all around Italy, in order to survive for the rest of the year.

 All this lasted till 1964, when they divorced. Together with our sweet mother we started a very hard life.

 © Antonio Ricci

 Did your parents influence your artistic abilities?

 Sincerely speaking I do not believe that my artistic skills have been influenced by my parents.

I think this was a power that came out from me, exerting a positive influence.

 Anyway I remember my mother's happiness when I bought my first canvas and some art materials.

 Why did you choose to study art?

 I decided to study art in my early years at school, when I realized I loved so much drawing and mixing colours, but it was also causing economic troubles to my family...

 I've always thought study is an important starting point for my artistic path, and I usually wanted to paint anything I saw.

 Did you have professors that you would say had some influence on  you?

 Sincerely speaking I have only had good drawing teachers.

 My wish to paint and the constancy of my commitment came directly from the contact with canvas.

 © Antonio Ricci

 Could you tell us how you approached starting a career as an artist?

 I think I started my career as an artist not by chance.... I think approaching my career as an artist is due to an internal power that forces me to go on, without stopping.

 I love nature so I'm suffering with it for the pains that our technologic present gives.

What inspires you the most?

 When I was a young boy I was attracted by nature, by simple objects of daily life, by the people I met in the countryside and in the small villages (my grandfather used to tell me that when he was young he had a deep friendship with Charles Moulin, that was Matisse's friend, the painter who choose Molise to paint nature). Now my strongest inspiration is the pain of nature, the lack of memories and the continuous search for a lost time.

 Please tell about your exhibitions.

 My exhibitions have not yet come up to my expectations, because after 30 years of artistic work I could not yet make a personal exhibition that can satisfy my wishes.

 The reasons have been both economic and concerning managers of art galleries I could not trust.  But as I am an optimist, I always consider exhibitions very important for my artistic path.

What gallery currently represents you?

 For 30 years managers of art galleries did not have much interest in my paintings. Now a manager from Palermo, director of the Associazione Culturale Maestri d'Arte in Palermo, represents me, but I don't have any exclusive contract with him.

 © Antonio Ricci

 Do you live only by selling paintings or do you also teach?

 At the moment I'm living of what my artistic skills can provide me.

 I created a workshop of art craft where I make every possible effort: drawing for embroidery (for tatting and bobbin lace), wood manufacturing (artistic objects and souvenirs), and a permanent exhibition of my paintings.

 This big sacrifice aims at improving my artistic CV, wishing that one day I will be able to dedicate all of my time to painting.

 What are your goals as an artist?

 I have many goals, but as a humble person, I'm only asking for more time to paint, with small economic possibilities that could help me with opening a real studio, working and sharing with people my artistic message. I don't care for big money but for a chance to give more to Art.

 © Antonio Ricci