Antonello Messina (Painter)

Antonello Messina is a painter, sculptor and musician. He was born in Palermo on July 24, 1969. As a child he showed a remarkable talent for visual arts (painting, drawing), as well as exceptional musical gifts. He started studying piano, solfeggio and music theory as a self-taught at the age of ten. He subsequently complemented these studies with harmony and composition. He graduated from the "II Liceo Artistico" of Palermo in 1989, and attended painting classes in the Academy of Arts of the same town. He subsequently completed his artistic training with a complementary year in the "I Liceo Artistico E. Catalano" in the years 1994-1995. His love for drawing, painting and history of art naturally led him to approach the artistic and literary milieux of his town and region. Along with his path as a painter, Antonello Messina pursued his career as a highly esteemed musician. These two means of expression have blended to create a lifelong journey of exploration: while concerts and music tours have led him all over the country, he has been called to create paintings and sculptures on commission: clay, chalk, ceramics and reproductions of paintings of all epochs (the study of human anatomy drawing techniques being of fundamental value in this period). All the techniques he learned to master have gradually left place to the artist’s preferred means of expression: oil painting. Between 1996 and 1999 he specialised in restoration works and reproductions; during this time he further refined his techniques in reproduction, by means of materials like distemper for Renaissance’s works, and acrylic colours, synthetic enamel and oils for contemporary works. His paintings’ exhibition in march 2000 on the occasion of the World Exhibit at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York, where he presented both original works and reproductions, is a very significant stage of his artistic career. In october 2011 Exhibition of paintings and drawings in Japan. Tatebayashi City - " L'autre Maison - Nishi No Hora ", Ashikaga City - " Citizens'Hall ", Tokyo - " Promise Servise Plaza ", Tokyo - " Japan Art Gallery ". In july 2013 Exhibition of paintings in Switzerland. Marly - " Plexus Art Gallery ". June 2016: he appears in the video clip "Democratic Set" in the Belluard International Festival in Fribourg introducing his project "Le visage des Bolzes". EXHIBITIONS U.S.A NEW YORK - JACOB K. JAVITS CENTER (MARCH 2000) JAPAN TOKYO - JAPAN ART GALLERY TOKYO - PROMISE SERVICE PLAZA TATEBAYASHI CITY - L'AUTRE MAISON - NISHI NO HORA ASHIKAGA CITY - CITIZENS'HALL (OCTOBER 2011) SWITZERLAND MARLY - PLEXUS ART GALLERY (JULY 2013) FRIBOURG - BELLUARD - INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL DEMOCRATIC SET - LIVE PERFORMANCE (JUNE 2016) SALAVAUX - CHÂTEAU SALAVAUX (JUNE 2017 / OCTOBER 2017)