Collection: Andrew Conti

Bio

Andrew Conti (b.1977 New Hope, Pennsylvania U.S.A) is a painter and sculptor who creates large and small works that explore color, calligraphy, monument and markers of memory.

Conti received his BFA in painting from the Parsons School of Design in New York and continued his studies at Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan.

The artist held solo exhibitions at the Park Towne Place Gallery in Philadelphia and the Zuisho-ji Temple in Tokyo, Japan. He participated in several exhibitions throughout the United States and Japan. His work is held in public and private collections in both countries.

A long time resident of Japan, Conti returned to the US in 2009 and lives and works in suburban Philadelphia with his family.

Statement

I create my work to memorialize life – from the everyday to the magical. I use color and calligraphy to create monuments and icons of memory, mythology, spirit, and life. To remember everything from the serious, to the sad, to the silly.

These objects, painted, sculpted, or both, are made to slow the world down and allow us to find meditative moments of focus and calm. To take the overwhelm, the fear, the emotion and information-overload of life and remake it in new forms that remind us to take our time and remember where we are and what matters.

I build these objects in conversation with my materials. I work intuitively, building with color, line, and form. I layer sweeping gestures, obsessive calligraphy, staining, brushing, rubbing, and the controlled chaos of the Japanese wet-on-wet technique tarashikomi.

Throughout each piece are diverse interests and inspirations. I pull from the ideas of art history – color field painting, gestural abstraction, the flatness of Japanese Rinpa painting. I also layer a personal calligraphy influenced by a lifetime of reading American comics and from the information packed world we inhabit both online and off.

My work develops as a family of related forms. Each piece is an independent moment that links with others through color, shape, and theme. But the possibilities are endless as new ideas, new shapes, and new pathways open for exploration.