Ottaviani’s ‘Urban Zoo’ comes to Warren

Staff report

WARREN

“Urban Zoo,” an exhibition of super-realism art by Vittorio Ottaviani, will open Saturday at DNA Studios, 137 S. Park Ave., with a reception from 7 to 10 p.m.

Ottaviani will be present at the reception, which is free to the public.

His works will be on display for viewing and purchase through Sept. 19. For information, call the gallery at 330-980-8794.

Born and raised in Italy, Ottaviani is an international artist living and working in New York City. His work captures the kaleidoscope of human personality through intricate facial expressions and body gestures.

The way Ottaviani sees it, real people make up everyday life situations. Therefore, it is their strength, simplicity and logic when dealing with larger social issues that he chooses to depict in his artwork.

To execute his paintings, he uses classical oil techniques over gesso-prepared wood. He learned this time-honored process as an apprentice working under a master painter in Italy.

No stranger to the Mahoney Valley, Ottaviani’s first U.S. exhibit was in 2005 at the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown. Since then, his paintings have been displayed around the United States and abroad.

To promote his work to the public, he often uses guerrilla marketing strategies.

“Urban Zoo” pinpoints how easy it would be for people to live in a world without superheroes saving the day.

By preventing our egos and pride from making decisions in the face of confrontational or difficult events, we transform into humble truth-seekers with eyes open to the best sides of human nature. It is within this transformation that we learn to save ourselves and shed the need for superheroes.

This simple concept will be woven throughout Ottaviani’s DNA Studios exhibition through oils on paper art, drawings, prints, poetry and more.

After its run in Warren, “Urban Zoo” will travel to New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Rome.

To learn more about Ottaviani, go to trueartisforrebels.com.