El Sebastinio - German-Turkish acrylic artist at the Grenzenlos

There are so many wondrous encounters that sometimes believing in the supernatural is really not that improbable. That's how you could describe the encounter with Musti Mayer, who was introduced to us one evening in Alanya by our neighbor Mustafa.

According to Mustafa, a young man had turned up here, who came from Germany to look for his father in Turkey. That’s how the first conversations came about, which we then gradually intensified.

Musti is the son of a German mother and a Turkish father, whom he had not met until his search, which drove him and his mother back to Turkey after 23 years. Musti completed an apprenticeship as an interior decorator in 2011, until he and his mother decided to try to find out about his father after completing his apprenticeship. So, during a holiday trip, we went back to the place where Musti's mother used to be: to Alanya in Turkey. Here you had checked into the hotel on the Damlatas, where Musti's mother had once lived for a long time. To the surprise of both of them, the owner recognized Musti's mother immediately, especially since they had developed a very friendly relationship at the time, but then lost touch after so many years.

Over the next few days, Musti got to know the city of Alanya, he was shown places that Musti's mother and her boyfriend had visited at the time. So, it was by chance or intuition that they bumped into a passer-by with whom they got into a lengthy conversation. In the first few words, the motives for the presence in Alanya were described, some circumstances and explanations were completed and ..... the man, as a Ur-Alanya´ner, wanted and was able to help. Just give him a little time, he already has a thought.

Already the next morning we had an appointment in another hotel in Alanya, the couple who run the hotel had been informed by the passer-by and who had already arranged a few things. Only a short phone call was necessary and another 10 minutes passed before Musti was able to meet his father for the first time. As a result, Musti not only got to know his father, but a little later also his father's family and his two half-siblings, with whom Musti was able to quickly develop a real relationship. Then he learned Turkish, converted to Islam out of inner inspiration and since then has spent all his holidays in Turkey.

During the first meeting, Musti told us about his great passion, painting. Initially it was manga drawings, those Japanese comic figures that are elaborately designed with ink, but Musti switched to oil pastel chalk at the age of 11, which he also used as finger paints. Brushes were never his first choice at the time.

The works of Bob Ross became more and more his favourites and role models, Joy of Painting, that was his thing. So, his drawings should be more expressive, stronger in the colours. And so Musti's conclusion was to switch to acrylic paints. Fan brushes are now one of his favourite devices, Musti works with neon pop art colours. Over the past two years he has given away a number of paintings, sometimes receiving an easel in return, which Musti is still working on today.

We tell about our presence as part of the project "Understanding and cultural journey along Roman roads" during and at the Grenzenlos Festival in Augsburg to present ourselves and to report on the festival and the idea quickly matured to include it in the framework to try to present his pictures. Musti would very much like to switch to the field of artistic activities, because he also composes electronic music. But how to shape the first steps.

So we made an appointment for the first day of the Grenzenlos Festival in Augsburg and .... In the meantime, Musti has also adopted an artist name: El Sebastinio. All his pictures, which we present as a small exhibition on the project vehicle (stand 80), are signed accordingly.

Next Saturday, the young artist wants to be at the stand himself to present his pictures. During the week, the mean Mamon is still required, because an artist also has to provide for his livelihood. And unfortunately, Musti's, better El Sebastinio's pictures are still no support in normal livelihood. Who knows what's to come.

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