Paul "MexOne" Vetne was born in Guadalajara, Mexico and raised under the influence of artistic parents. From an early age, he was taught to appreciate his heritage and he pulls from his origins when undertaking artistic endeavors. His formal education earned him a Bachelor of Fine Art in Studio Painting from Andrew University in southwest Michigan. Employment in screen printing and broadcasting exposed him to these art forms and broadened his horizons and experiences. He was also a professional Tattoo Artist for 15 years, which honed his disciplined studio practice. He had to retire from tattooing after a significant health crisis, where he stroked, coded, died, and was resuscitated. After a week of a medically induced coma and heavily medicated sleep, he began to regain consciousness to a point where he could sit up and participate in artistic activities. At first it was not focused, and it was only with the assistance of loved ones that he was encouraged to start handling drawing utensils and undertaking daily projects. Soon, his personal art therapy took on as much significance in his recovery as his work with professionals in physical and speech related rehabilitation. During the 11 hours a week in dialysis for a failing kidney, art became even more of a constant companion for Paul. From his memory, it took about three weeks to move from scribbles to focused and complete drawings that returned to techniques utilized before his stroke. From that point on, each drawing has been a step forward into the unknown.
