Today we’d like to introduce you to Enrico Napoletano

Hi Enrico Napoletano, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

As the saying goes, every beginning is tough. However, if I’m not mistaken, it was actually quite exciting for me. The hard part came a bit later, when I emigrated to another country.

One day, I resigned from my job, walked across the street to an art store, and that’s when the adventure began. Right there, at that very moment, I met a somewhat established painter from Caracas, Venezuela! We went to his studio.

A few days later, I came home with an easel I had just bought, tied to the roof of my car. You can imagine the reaction—I was called crazy. I got serious about it, distanced myself from one of my so-called best friends, and they kept saying I had lost my mind! And so I carried on, without listening to anyone, though, in truth, their comments did make me feel anxious and doubtful at times.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

Smooth? Not at all. There are days when I feel like a gray eternity hangs over the horizon. The first challenge came when I arrived in Florence, Italy, and was waiting for the container with all my art supplies from Venezuela—my tools, and most importantly, my sculptures and paintings. Everything was at risk of being confiscated by customs in the sending country, since the government at the time did as it pleased. My wife and I believe that the thieves were satisfied with stealing our silverware, which spared my bronze sculptures.

But that wasn’t the end of it. I missed my first exhibition in Florence, Italy, because the container didn’t arrive in time. It was such an embarrassment with the gallery owners, and a huge loss for me. Fortunately, they gave me another exclusive opportunity, but this time to exhibit hand-painted handbags that the directors of Il Cancello Antiquariato di Firenze accidentally saw on my website. They asked me, ‘Why didn’t you tell us about your handbags?’

The exhibition went well, but challenges were still waiting for me. A gallery in Florence—whose name I won’t mention out of respect—where I had left some paintings, attempted to auction off my artwork without my consent. I had to go to the storage facility myself, and when they heard my voice and saw my fury, they had no choice but to return my art pieces.

That’s just to mention a few.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?

Here’s a professional English translation for your interview:

Since 1998, I’ve dedicated my energy, consistency, and perseverance to both sculpture and painting at a professional level, though I had been creating art long before that. That same year, I had my first exhibition alongside renowned Venezuelan artists such as Miguel Alejandro Otero, Diego Barbosa, and many others.

I must say that I really had to earn my place in that exhibition, as the art curator was tough. It was only because she fell in love with one of my pieces that I managed to get in.

It’s an interesting question—why am I known? One simply works hard and puts heart into it. Life will take care of the rest, or maybe you take care of it yourself. You need to be strong so your health doesn’t falter, both physically and emotionally, because the journey will most likely be long and narrow. I tend to be very hard on myself, though I’ve been working on that with great effort lately. I’m learning to feel proud and content with everything I create. I’m proud of having picked myself up off the ground countless times—so many that I’ve lost count. But I do it out of respect for who I am and to follow the instinct of my soul.

Any big plans?

In the near future, I am looking forward to an exhibition in Warwick, New York, in the United States. The artworks just shipped last week from Salamanca, where I currently have my art studio in a provincial village in a rather cold mountain area. I have my studio in a stone and wood cabin that I am in the process of restoring. Although Carrara is waiting for me!

I am eager to reach the next level, expand into more countries, and have the galleries that represent me do so to the best of their ability. The rule is that the better you are, the more you can give, and that’s the idea. The most important thing, aside from having love, peace, and health, is that my works align with what my soul seeks; the rest will follow.

I feel a stirring in my stomach, something new is brewing on my artistic path. Yes, I can sense it, but I must wait. I can only see certain images at this point, and I will act only when I feel that click within me.

Pricing:

• 750
• 5000
• 40000

Contact Info:

• Website: https://enriconapoletanoart.wixsite.com/enriconapoletanoart/registration
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enriconapoletanoart_figurative/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/enriconapoletanoart
• Twitter: https://x.com/fantasticando_
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ONIRICO_musica-om3mh

Image Credits

Enrico Napoletano