Erick Vittorino (Photo by Roberto Souza)
The last time I bought a piece of artwork, I felt frustrated and unhappy. That was a few years ago, when a designer insisted that a beautiful painting would enhance my house décor. It’s not that I didn’t like it; it simply didn’t speak to me, if you know what I mean.
For a long time I felt intimidated by art, thinking that only certain people could truly appreciate it, as if the subject needed to be studied to be understood, when really it is all a matter of instincts.
We all have a certain painting in our house or work office. You might have bought it at an art gallery, during a trip, or in a flea market (or been convinced by your interior designer to buy one).
“Embrace”
I ‘ve always admired anonymous paintings, oftentimes an instructive and fun pastime, but recently I discovered the work of Erick Vittorino and it led me to acquire a sudden, whole new perspective on art.
By no means am I a deep art connoisseur, but you don’t have to be one to fall in love with Erick Vitorrino’s work. Again, it’s instinctual! You will love his paintings in the simple, uncomplicated way you love a beautiful object.
“Sole”
I met Erick through a common friend a few years ago. After visiting her house beautified by his paintings, I realized that his work deserved a higher profile, and a broader notice of an immigrant artist.
Erick is best known for his exotic approach between the modern and the traditional, but his paintings are also designed to evoke his personal history and experiences, celebrating the roots of his native Brazilian culture and its mix of races.
His painting Pão de Açúcar in blue, red, and black is a modern take on Rio’s famous landmark.
” Pão de Açúcar”
Tupi Guarani portrays the natives of Brazil in pure black and white, each Indian with a different eye and surrounded by leaves.
“Tupi Guarani”
As you analyze it, the painting makes you think, which in my humble opinion defines art’s finest mission.
Erick’s drawing is a cerebral process, almost thought provocative. He doesn’t just paint what he feels; he understands his own feelings and translates them into paintings in a beautiful and poetic way.
Erick Vittorino, 32, came to the U.S. in 1997 and settled in Fairfield, Connecticut. His vocation began as a child, when an aunt, already aware of his potential, asked him to help restore some paintings in their local church in Rio de Janeiro. From thereon, every step of his journey has been evolutionary.
Erick’s inspiration starts with a person, an experience, or a place, something he fixates on, like The Brooklyn Bridge he painted last fall while gazing at the magnificent bridge.
“Brooklyn Bridge”
In pastel tones and contemporary design, the painting is a source of enlivening visual relaxation.
From murals and faux finish to oil on canvas and décor in general, Erick jots down sights, colors, shapes, and forms that catch his eyes and translate numerous experiences into art. He is completely self-taught, and a perpetual creator. “ I have never been to art school, ” he says.
When he settles on a memory of a color, he does some research to flesh it out and then starts brainstorming with materials that have a visual, cultural, or symbolic significance.
“At the beginning, it was hard because I didn’t speak the language. Even at art-supply stores, I had difficulty communicating,” he said. Eventually his creating his own techniques paid off, though. His work started spreading through word of mouth, mostly from his Brazilian friends who, in turn, recommended him to their American friends, and they were mesmerized at his amazing talent— like I was.
As he continued to explore new techniques, he moved to New York City and conquered a more sophisticated clientele, even celebrities like activist Gloria Steinem and opera singer Jesse Norman.
For four consecutive years, Erick was nominated for the Brazilian Press Award, the same award that put Vick Munitz’s career on the right path. In 2009, Erick snatched the winning prize, and many doors have opened since then.
His work was exhibited in a few art galleries in the tri-state region and is now available at
Southport Galleries and
Lillian August, a gorgeous Connecticut-based home-furnishing and design store with branches in New York and Los Angles which displays only the finest of the finest in furniture and home goods.
Erick aims to tell his story by creating masterpieces yet maintaining simplicity and clean lines at the core of his work.
This young, handsome man with a talent the size of an ocean has a lot to tell.
Recently I asked Erick what he likes to do when he is not painting. Lucky for us, he loves to cook!
On the next post, I will share with you one of his signature dishes, Bolinho de Chuva.
EV news 