When we were in Melbourne recently I had an absolute must see on my list of things to do, and that was ~ Fantauzzo Gallery in South Yarra.

Vincent Fantauzzo is a Melbourne based artist, well known for amongst other things, his Archibald Prize, People’s Choice winning portraits which have to be seen to be believed. His photo realistic style is just incredible and leaves you completely in awe when you see them in real life.

The reason I wanted to visit his gallery apart from seeing some of his amazing portraits, was to buy his book ‘Unveiled’, in which he writes about his life from being a petty criminal, expelled from school at 14, due in part to issues caused by undiagnosed dyslexia, to where he is now as one of Australia’s most successful and sought after artists.

On the day of our visit we were blown away with his gallery of portraits and other artworks but sadly the book had sold out. Having a few more days to spare in Melbourne though, we pre-bought the book in hopes that a delivery of more would come in and we’d be able to get an autographed copy, while still in Melbourne.

He was actually in the gallery on the day we visited, the staff were able to confirm that because of the blaring music in the building – all good, we loved it too. (I can relate because I always listen to music while I’m writing too). As luck would have it, the book arrived a few days later, while we were still in Melbourne, so we took another tram ride to the gallery to pick it up.

The first thing I noticed on opening the book was the size and colour of the print which appears to be – dyslexic friendly with the font used, the colour of the type and even the page colour all helping with its ease of readability. I’m not sure if that was deliberate or not?

For me though, the readability comes from the story itself. I can’t remember the last time I read a book that caused me to lose sleep because I had trouble putting it down! It is a direct, cut to the chase, warts and all personal account of his life and career to date.

I think we’ve probably all been guilty of mentally coming to a conclusion about who a person is, based on socioeconomic factors like education, income, and occupation, but this staggeringly honest book will have you questioning all of those assumptions.

His story is addictive and I love that each chapter is headed with one of his sketches which also create a visual journey for readers.

Vincent is married to well known Australian actor Asher Keddie and even their story together, is an eye opener in what having a rich life really means and how fame and money don’t necessarily mean an easy or uncomplicated life.

His life story is a lesson in resilience and authenticity and I think if it teaches readers anything, it’s to just be a better, more forgiving human and give people a chance. The saying ‘We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak‘, came to mind while I was reading the book.

It is a page turner to the very end where he acknowledges the people who have contributed so much to his life and the making of the book including the ghost writer. Importantly, it also has list of resources for anyone seeking help, from dyslexic associations in Australia, as well as services which help people experiencing mental health issues, drug and alcohol problems or domestic violence.

To learn more about Vincent Fantauzzo you can also watch the episode of the ABC series– Australian Story program which featured him.

It’s an amazing story which I would encourage others to read or listen to as an audiobook which is narrated by his friend and well-known actor, Richard Roxburgh.

If you’re in Melbourne you can visit the Fantauzzo gallery, at 464 Chapel Street, South Yarra.

I look forward to following his career in future and seeing more of this man’s incredible talent.

Glenys