Nenne Sanguineti Poggi: An Artist Without Borders At The Rye Arts Center
January 21 – March 4, 2017
The artistic works of Nenne Sanguineti Poggi, acclaimed Italian painter, will be on display at The Rye Arts Center (51 Milton Road, Rye, NY). The opening reception of the exhibition is Saturday, January 21, 2017 at 3 -5 pm. The works will remain on view through March 4.
Nenne Sanguineti Poggi’s paintings, which have been shown on three continents, reveal a strong influence from Africa, where she lived for 30 years. Poggi was hired by then Emperor, Haile Selassie to create monumental projects, including large-scale mosaics which still stand today on schools and churches in Ethiopia. She authored a book, contributed chapters to many more, and wrote several articles published in international newspapers. She was a special envoy to the United Nations, and was the recipient of many distinguished awards during her lifetime.
Her style as an artist was greatly affected by her years in Africa. Before her passing in 2012 she described:
I painted “from real”: landscapes that captured an ancient and eternal, unspoiled nature, human figures from a people quite elegant in their physical traits, and so very interesting in their many characteristics. I liked everything of that land… Returning to Italy after thirty years was a major problem. Exposed as I had been to the vast African horizons, I could not adjust to find pleasure in narrowly contained landscapes. Then the need for color won. I searched behind closed eyes for memories of Africa and recaptured them within geometric frames so that they would escape no more, while mortifying the once so vibrant colors.
Nenne Sanguineti Poggi: An Artist without Borders will guide you through her journey. You will explore the range of subjects and artistic styles through her beautiful and masterful work.
Executive Director, Meg Rodriguez adds, “The story of this exhibition is a story of good fortune. When we learned that Deborah Sanguineti (a community member already involved with The Rye Arts Center) is the grand-daughter of such a talented and accomplished artist, sharing her works in an exhibition presented itself as an irresistible opportunity.”
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The Rye Arts Center is located at 51 Milton Road in Rye, NY (914-967-0700).
