MY RETURN TO ITALY

Hello everyone,

I'm Leo La Rosa, the artist.

Many of you know me very well, others a little less, but we still had the opportunity to meet on many occasions, in different places and situations, especially during my works, which took place a little everywhere because it covered two important areas in my business: music on one side and painting on the other.

So I met many of you with whom - as well as with my family who welcomed me in Rome since the beginning in 1986 - I was able to live some good moments and unforgettable experiences. It is from that year there that - being a young man of 21 years - I started this great adventure in the Bel Paese, learning crafts, realizing many of my dreams, moving to various places, at work and outside of work, getting to know little by little all that large and generous Italian peninsula that has so much to offer, with its people, its food and its good wine. I cannot forget my great experience in Italy, by now I know it as if it were my home.

Unfortunately, due to the crisis that mainly affected my artistic sector, after 26 years in Italy, in 2012, I had to leave. My departure for Peru was caused not only by a lack of work and an expired residence permit, but also by an attempt to see my father who was now in his last days of life. Unfortunately I was unable to reach this goal and in the end I arrived late.

At that point, since I had by now lost my residence permit and the return ticket to Rome, I decided to stay here in Peru and start my life a little over.

Things went well in the beginning. Having to reinvent myself in an almost entirely new place for me after 26 years of missing me was a great challenge. And luckily thanks to my talent in music and painting I have been able to get by so far.

I immersed myself in my painting and music works, painting many pictures and making decorations in the clubs as I always did in Italy, also managing to do exhibitions and recording my first solo album here in my home studio in the mountains . I also wrote the script for two feature films for the cinema, a Rock Opera and a Ballet of classical and modern dance for the theater.

These two film productions were supposed to start shooting in April 2020 in the place where I am, and the Rock Opera was to be staged in November of the same year in a theater in Lima. The pandemic and its bans have forced the respective productions to block funding for these activities that are very important to me, not only as a personal commitment to be made in my life but more than anything else as a necessary economic resource.

So I had to go back to my painting works - even if customers are scarce in recent times - and to other small activities completely outside the artistic field, such as assistant cook, work of collecting products in agriculture and ecological operator in separate waste collection.

Having no other perspectives in this area, I would like to be given a second chance to continue to demonstrate who I am as an artist.

Basically - and with all my strength - I would like to return to Italy to resume my artistic activities, offer my pictorial services and re-enter the environment that has trained me professionally during most of my life. I would not want to continue wasting my time here in Peru where I literally try to survive day by day without being able to realize my art and seriously risking to end up working in the mine.

Unity is strength and thanks to a small collaboration on your part, even with a minimal contribution, in many people I am sure that you will be able to reach the necessary - and not astronomical - amount to be able to buy a ticket and return to Italy, what I really consider my home.

In return, I will be happy to offer my artistic services to be able to compensate for your lovely cooperation. I will be delighted to reconnect all those professional and friendship contacts that for me have never been interrupted, but only "put on pause" as sometimes happens in life. And I look forward to hearing from you and to be able to work for and with you. I'm not waiting any more!

Many greetings to everyone and heartfelt thanks. Leo.