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When Theo Pinto moved to the United States from Brazil in 2007, he barely spoke English and had no formal artistic training. But Mr. Pinto had dreams of becoming an artist, so he left his native country to work as an apprentice for his uncle, artist Hamilton Aguiar.
Today, just two years later, the 19-year-old Southampton High School senior speaks near-perfect English and is an award-winning artist in his own right. His “Self Portrait” was recently honored with second place in the 28th Congressional Art Competition.
At a reception on the campus of Stony Brook/Southampton on May 17, Congressman Tim Bishop announced that Mr. Pinto’s mixed media piece was selected for the award. The self portrait, comprised of screws, nuts and bolts held in place with resin, has since earned the young artist many other honors, including a Peter Terian Fine Arts Scholarship.
Mr. Pinto said he was inspired to create the piece after viewing the mixed media work of Vik Muniz, a Brazilian artist based in New York City.
“His work is distinct,” Mr. Pinto explained, adding that after seeing Mr. Muniz’s pieces, he began reading more about the artist’s life and was motivated by his experiences as a Brazilian immigrant pursuing his interests in the United States. “His story matched mine,” Mr. Pinto said.
Mr. Pinto said his time in the United States has given him opportunities he never would have had in Brazil. He has traveled the country with Mr. Aguiar, visiting various shows and attending workshops with some of the country’s best designers and artists. Last summer, he attended a workshop with Mike Lin, a well-known designer in San Francisco. This summer, Mr. Pinto will return to study with Mr. Lin and work as a teaching assistant in one of his workshops, he said.
At Southampton High School, Mr. Pinto has been a student of Gail Altomare in her advanced drawing and portfolio classes. Ms. Altomare described her student as a “talented” and “gifted” artist, adding that he has been accepted to a “very competitive” arts school.
Mr. Pinto will continue his studies next fall at Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. He said he hopes to pursue environmental design or painting.
“Self Portrait,” meanwhile, will find a new home at Peter Marcelle Contemporary Gallery on Hampton Road.
Mr. Marcelle cited the work’s “originality” and “expressiveness” as reasons why he selected it for his gallery.
“It’s an exceptional piece,” he said.
on Jun 9, 2009