One year ago today Rafael Mantesso was left by his wife he tells the tale of how he dealt with his heartbreak:
“On my thirtieth birthday, my wife suddenly without any warning left me. She took everything, and I mean everything, the cookware, furniture, photos, her decorations.
She left me alone in an empty all-white apartment that now felt more like a prison. The only saving grace was that she left our bull terrier, whom she had opted to name after her favourite shoe designer ‘Jimmy Choo’.
So I found myself, alone in our empty apartment, just me and Jimmy. I found inspiration in my blank walls and my best friend and started snapping photos of Jimmy Choo as he trotted and cavorted around the house in glee. When Jimmy collapsed in happy exhaustion next to the white wall, I grabbed a marker and drew a new world around his ginger-eared pup. Suddenly, I felt his long-dormant inspiration for drawing, for art, for life—returning.
I created a series of fun, tongue-in-cheek illustrations, portraying my bull terrier dreaming of shoes, relaxing on a sofa with a martini by his side or turning canine DJ on the decks. Set against a matte white background, the illustrations are humorous and eye-catching juxtaposed with bright pops of iridescent color in hot pink, copper and electric blue.”
