Art on Main is pleased to welcome Umberto Centofante as our guest artist for the month of August. Please join us for a gala reception on Thursday, August 4th from 5 to 8 p.m.
Biography of Umberto Centofante
Umberto Centofante was born in 1924 in Pontocorvo Italy, and was born with the gift of artistic genius. In 1932, at the young age of only eight years old Umberto was introduced to the King of Italy. King Emmanuel III presented little Umberto with his first art award, for pastel drawings that depicted his life on the farm. Umberto had never had an art lesson, and to this day, still has not. At 86 years old, Umberto has no scholastic excellence to report, or prestigious art schools to list. He has only his crystal clear memory as the source of his inspiration.
Umberto’s discriminating collection has been cultivated and nourished from his magnificent renditions of his life’s events. He grew up devastatingly poor, working on his family’s farm from dawn to dusk. During World War II, Umberto’s seventeen family members lived in a self-made bomb shelter and often went to bed hungry and frightened. These emotions and recollections are captured in his paintings. Umberto’s steadfast optimism is a result of the love and laughter that he shared with his family in spite of their every day struggles. Even when the war left them with nothing, Umberto felt he had everything as long as he had his family. His experiences gave him a diverse pallet that results in unique interpretations that include meticulous attention to detail and rich expressions in each and every creation in his collection.
Mr. Centofante’s mainstay has always been through private collectors and this self-taught master now finds his inspiration from his wonderful life living in beautiful New England, where his exuberant passion comes to life in his work. He has participated in countless exhibits, and has won numerous awards recognizing his level of excellence and achievement. Umberto’s fine collection is diverse in medium and ranges from Oil, Water Color, Pastel, Charcoal, Pencil, and Wood Sculpture. His emotions and compassion are reflected in his work and they will touch your heart. Given the opportunity to meet him, his radiant smile, coupled with his heavy vowels from his native Italian language will surely do the same.
