Velasquez E. Antonio Alejandro

Antonio Alejandro Velasquez Espinoza was born on 12 August 1989 in Lima, Peru. He has suffered from arthrogryposis since birth. This disease makes it extremely difficult for him to move his upper and lower limbs. When he was 8 years old, his mother saw a newspaper advert, for the US visa lottery programme, whereby children who needed medical attention would be supported. His mother fulfilled the requirements and they won. Consequently, he travelled to Houston, Texas, with his mother, and stayed there for three months to receive treatment. Back in Peru, he started his school education, and completed this in 2007. He started mouth painting in 1999. On the occasion of a meeting of the mouth and foot painting artists in Peru, and contacting the local publishing house in connection with this, he was once again made aware of mouth painting. As a result, he decided to step up his painting, and successfully took painting lessons. He now paints landscapes, animals and still lifes.