Mono Gallery. Federico Tomasi Exhibition.

I met Bienale awarded artist Fede on a beach in Bali, the sun setting in splashes of red and purple over the waves, lounging amongst a crowd of rainbow beanbags. The light is long gone before I get more than two words into the conversation; yes he admits, he does like to talk. Sun bronzed, tattooed and overflowing with Italian charm, he moved to Bali the moment he signed his first contract and lives a dream life of surfing, painting and entertaining in his bohemian ‘Berlin style’ studioslashgalleryslash sometimes bar.

I think I just invite myself over, for a sneak preview at his gallery ‘Mono’, but he graciously hosts me for an evening of red wine and those kind of long ‘meaning of life and relationships etc’ conversation that work well with red wine. His work adorns the walls; glistening splashes of almost lacquered colour form hundreds of upturned faces against metallic backgrounds, impressionist mouths caught in moments of such expression.

The exhibition of theses work falls on my last night in Bali, a nice chance to say hi and bye to everyone I’ve met over the last month of pottering round in the sunshine; out the back of the gallery, pumping music, and a smokey glow encases guests with paintings of naked torso’s stretching up above us, a floor to ceiling glass wall over looking a watery rice paddy sparkles in the darkness; Bali’s premium mixoligist with a soft spot for tequila mixes us up something from his secret stash to make up for missing the free sangria, Fede is hard to catch as he runs from bar to dj to host duties and the crowd of dj’s, designers, restaurant entrepreneurs get liquored and loose.

I leave before the ‘Big New York Dj’ arrives but friends report partying til dawn… so long Bali bis nächstes Mal.