Maurizio Cattelan was born on September 21, 1960, in Padua, Italy. He does not attend any academy or school of art so he makes his works completely self-taught. His artistic career began in the 1980s in the city of Forli, Emilia Romagna. He enrolled in an industrial technical institute and because of the need to become independent and start working. While waiting to graduate he held a series of jobs such as gardener, waiter, antenna operator, and letter carrier. Later after participating in a nursing course, he is hired at the hospital. In the meantime (to pass the time) he cuts and assembles pieces of metal creating special compositions and sends photos of his compositions to galleries around the world. The first gallery to accept his proposed works is Neo in Bologna.