He may be an award-winning artist, but Vincent Fantauzzo can pack a punch

Vincent Fantauzzo has opened up about a brutal encounter with a man who allegedly broke into his Melbourne home while his family slept, as he releases a book about his life and launches a new art gallery.

Acclaimed artist Vincent Fantauzzo has opened up about the brutal encounter with a man who allegedly broke in his Melbourne home. Picture: Jason Edwards

Acclaimed artist Vincent Fantauzzo has opened up about the brutal encounter with a brazen thief who allegedly broke in his Melbourne home as his family slept and attempted to steal a prized Ducati motorcycle.

“It was like everything was in slow motion; this guy is in my house, he could hurt my family, now he is trying to hurt me, I had to protect my family and defend myself,” Fantauzzo said.

The intruder allegedly entered the St Kilda home the award-winning painter shares with his wife, Gold Logie winning actor Asher Keddie, and sons Luca and Val, and took the keys to the bike.

Fantauzzo confronted the “scumbag” as he tried to leave the property with the motorbike on the morning of December 28 last year.

Fantauzzo confronted the man as he tried to leave the property with the motorbike on the morning of December 28 last year. Picture: David Caird

Instead of fleeing the would-be thief turned and started swinging punches at Fantauzzo.

Having trained as a boxer before art became his career path, Fantauzzo defended himself and fought back.

“Asher and I had a conversation the night before and said ‘if I am away what are you going to do if someone breaks into the house and it is just you and (their sons) Val and Luca?’ and she said ‘that is never going to happen’ and the next morning it happens,” Fantauzzo said.

“Asher (got up) and sees this guy downstairs and runs back to me and yells out and all I could think of was what if I was not there. Normally first people down the stairs in the morning are Val and Luca.

“This guy, he came prepared to steal my stuff. He brought his own helmet, he had cased the joint out and was there with intention, he was willing to go into my house were my family sleeps, and possibly hurt my family.

“I went out there and said ‘what are you doing?’ He just continued to steal my (motor) bike, pushing it out like I was not even there. I went towards him and he turned, dropped my bike and swung at me a couple of times. I ducked and weaved. We got into a fight, he was a bigger guy than me and all I could think of was my kids and my family. He kept coming. I had to protect my family and I had to defend myself.

“It was self-defence the whole time because he just kept coming at me.”

Having trained as a boxer before art became his career path, Fantauzzo says he defended himself and fought back. Picture: Liz Sunshine

The fight spilt out on to the street in front of their home and a passer-by helped Fantauzzo contain the intruder until police arrived.

A 44-year-old man from Altona was subsequently arrested and charged with aggravated burglary, theft of motor vehicle, trespass and unlawful assault.

It is a moment that is difficult to relive, but Fantauzzo is about to open his life up as never before with the release of his memoir, Unveiled, on Tuesday.

It is a raw, vulnerable and rollicking insight into arguably Australia’s highest profile artist who at just 48 has lived a life filled with extraordinary chapters and famous and powerful characters.

Growing up in poverty in Melbourne’s Broadmeadows and with school a misery because of his then-undiagnosed dyslexia, Fantauzzo’s youth was peppered violence, street fights, brushes with the law, poor choices, dark troubling moments, chance encounters, incredible luck and sliding door moments.

Art was his gift – he started drawing in high school and his first portrait was of Albert Einstein which his mother still has – but it took Melbourne boxing trainer Jack Rennie, famous for coaching Lionel Rose to a world title in 1968, to give him direction.

“Jack Rennie was the first person who gave me boundaries and cared enough to set some rules,” Fantauzzo said.

“Not having that from my dad, and I don’t blame my mum, she had five kids and you can’t watch everything, I kind of had free rein to do what I want and I think kids want some boundaries and I did not have them.”

Vincent Fantauzzo and wife Asher Keddie and son Val at the opening of his art exhibition. Picture: Tony Gough

Rennie taught him to box, Rose gave him occasional tips and he thought about making a career in the ring. But it was Rennie who identified art as his true career path after Fantauzzo gave him a pencil sketch of Rose.

“He said I don’t think you are going to be a boxer, I think you are going to be an artist’,” Fantauzzo said.

However, it was the sudden and shock death of his close friend, revered actor Heath Ledger, in 2008 that brought Fantauzzo’s talent and his rock star swagger sharply into the public spotlight. After tossing the idea around for a couple of years, Ledger had finally agreed to have Fantauzzo do his portrait.

The result was stunning, a deeply insightful, moving piece featuring three images of a shirtless Ledger at a pivotal moment in his career. But Ledger never got to see the finished artwork.

Fantauzzo emailed him a photo of the finished piece only to wake the next morning in January 2008 to discover The Dark Knight star had died. The email had never been opened.

The work won the People’s Choice Award at the 2008 Archibald Prize and he remains close to Ledger’s family. Kim, Heath’s father, is a wise, trusted guide and important influence on Fantauzzo’s life.

Moulin Rouge film director Baz Luhrmann, who he met through Melbourne film maker, Michael Gracey, is another powerful influence.

Luhrmann and Fantauzzo have travelled through India and Vietnam on motorbikes, collaborated on a series of artworks and remain close friends.

Artist Vincent Fantauzzo with some of his iconic artworks in his new art gallery. Picture: David Caird

“I could not believe someone like Baz had time and attention for me without wanting anything back,” Fantauzzo said.

“He believes in artists, he believes people who follow their dreams, he is very good at spotting people before other people do. I appreciated him taking notice of me and being encouraging. There is a lot that he taught me when we would go on trips to India and Vietnam. It won’t happen again, they were pretty epic trips, three weeks on motorbikes. He would have his little camera and teach me how to make films, telling me about the line of sight and how to follow thorough stories. He was very generous. I don’t know how to categorise Baz; friend, mentor, brother, inspiration.

“I have just been so lucky to meet so many incredible people.”

That luck includes meeting Keddie, his wife, muse and soulmate, after chef Matt Moran suggested he do a portrait of the Offspring star.

After tossing the idea around for a couple of years, Ledger had finally agreed to have Fantauzzo do his portrait.

She sat for a series of photographs and Fantauzzo worked through the night to have her portrait finished by the following day.

Called Love Face, the portrait won the People’s Choice Award at the 2013 Archibald Prize. The connection between the actor and artist was instant and five months later, they were living together. They eloped in Fiji in April 2014 with his son, Luca, from his first marriage, by their side. Their son, Valentino, was born in 2015.

“Asher, she cares more than anyone has ever cared,” he said.

“We have a family. To have someone who is always genuinely caring in your life. I can’t imagine life without each other.”

While Fantauzzo has won the People’s Choice Award at the Archibald Prize on four occasions, the Archibald Packing Room Prize once and the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize twice, the Archibald Prize, Australia’s most prestigious portrait prize, has so far eluded him.

He admits to having carried a chip on his shoulder after being overlooked by the Archibald Prize judges, but has now made his peace with illusive competition. Picture: David Caird

He admits to having carried a chip on his shoulder after year after year being overlooked by the Archibald Prize judges, but has now made his peace with illusive competition.

“In the art world there is not a lot of exposure. Strangely it (the Archibald) is about portraiture, which is not really that popular, generally, in the art world, and it gets all this attention and you want it so bad so you can get out there,” he said.

“It can make your career as an artist at any level in Australia. I really put so much into wanting it, almost obsessively.

“I started to get this chip on my shoulder and it was Larry (Kestelman) who said to me it was the Archibald that gave you all this attention and why would you now be bitter about it.

“I realised I am actually grateful for it. Yes, I would have liked to have won.

“I do feel so privileged to have been known for it and to have won a number of People’s Choice Awards and I have kind of realised there are a lot of artists who would not be complaining if they were in my position.

“Every year I say I will never enter again and then I enter again, so I won’t say never but it does not have a grip over me the way it once did.”

Fantauzzo said it was the friend and legendary Australian music promoter Michael Gudinski, who passed away in 2021, who inspired him tell his life story in Unveiled.

“Michael wanted to do a book and he never got that chance,” Fantauzzo said.

“I spoke about my dyslexia on Australian Story a few years ago and a really massive response from people. It was very humbling and I thought there might be some more I could do to help artists and other young people knowing you can have challenges but still come through okay.

“With Michael’s voice in the back of my head I thought I’d tell my story. He was a great inspiration, but he also would say, ‘Don’t f--k it up, son’.”

Fantauzzo says for a few years he was just concentrating on family and the kids and surviving in life. Picture: Monique Harmer

Unveiled’s release coincides with the opening of the Fantauzzo Gallery in South Yarra, a partnership with Melbourne entrepreneur Larry Kestelman.

The gallery showcase dozens of his compelling portraits along with sketches and abstract pieces. Exhibitions by other artists will also be shown and the stunning two level venue will be available for hire as a private event space.

It marks a new chapter for Fantauzzo and Kestelman have big plans.

“For a few years I have not done enough, I always feel like I have not done enough,” Fantauzzo said.

“I have not had proper exhibitions, I was concentrating on family and the kids and then the book and just surviving in life.

“Now I am painting day and night, the family are very supportive, I feel like I am just about to get started in art really, not like I have been doing it for a long time. I am pumped.

“Larry said to me if you want to do something exceptional put exceptional effort in, so I am going to try and do that and see what happens.”

He also hopes the creative hub can lead to a change in the art industry were artists aren’t afraid to be successful.

“In other professions, people can do well, have sponsorships, earn millions of dollars, but if you are an artist if you do that you are kind of a sell out,” Fantauzzo said.

“There are a lot of kids that don’t have much and art can be their way out, but they don’t do it because it is not really a way out if you can’t make a good living.

“I want to change that, live a good life and be ambitious.”

Larry Kestelman says Fantauzzo has a talent the world needs to know about. Picture: Sam D’Agostino

Kestelman said he believed that Fantauzzo had a talent that the world needed to know about.

“Vincent is number one a friend, but most importantly he is Australia’s best portrait artist and he is someone who I think Australia needs to know better and he needs to be known on the global scene,” Kestelman said.

“Vince and I are going to work together and I am going to help him become everything he wants to be. It is a partnership between us. I want people to see the amazing work he does because I am not sure the world quite appreciates the talent that he is in Australia.”

Kestelman owns a collection of Fantauzzo’s work called The Last Contact, with the pair having a friendship that stretches back 12 years.

“This is a perfect partnership where talent and art is coming together with business,” Kestelman said.

“I hope he will be even more successful than he is already – and most importantly (that this happens) while he is alive. I think it is just a shame that so many artists and so many talented people get recognised when it is a little bit too late.

“I would love for him to be recognised while he is a living legend.”

Unveiled, published by Penguin Random House, is released on March 4, 2025. The Fantauzzo Gallery is located at 464 Chapel Street, South Yarra

Originally published as He may be an award-winning artist, but Vincent Fantauzzo can pack a punch