Inspired by a deep conversation in Cape Town, South Africa, that I had with my black friends Mario and Steve, and my white friend Alessandro.

The painting wants to remind the real owners of the African lands, the black communities that came way before the whites. The black hand in the middle stands for it.

It’s a claim against the wealth differences between whites and blacks, that unfortunately are very strong in the South African country. 

I dream of a world of black and white that are really equal, in opportunities as in the rest, and, maybe naively, I feel optimistic that we are going in the right direction. 

The white hand, almost invisible, stands for the collaboration and the unity of differences that make Cape Town such an interesting place to me. The mother city can host people from around the world, with different languages, cultures, and races, and build a welcoming environment for everyone. Or at least this is what I feel every time I come back. Most of the people here come from different roots, maybe that is the main reason why everyone is so open and kind to each other. 

This piece is also an invitation to see the good where there is a lot of issues, it’s a mindset that characterized all my life, it’s important and nice to be positive. I like finding opportunities and hope in the most difficult and hopeless situations. 

If you can view it you can do it. If you can envision a world of peace, you can achieve it, at least in your mind and heart.