Joseph Lorusso Bio

Born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1966, Joseph Lorusso received his formal training at the American Academy of Art, and received his B.F.A. degree from the Kansas City Art Institute. As a child his parents took him on several trips to Italy where he was exposed to the works of the Italian Masters. He looked for ways to harness emotion and convey it with power and confidence, yet with delicacy and restraint. He studied the works of Manet, Vuillard, Sargent, Sorolla, Whistler and many more lesser- known but equally talented painters. He wanted to emulate their ability to express the "essence" of an object with just a few carefully chosen brushstrokes. In Lorusso's evocative and timeless figurative works he concentrates on honing his powers of observation, especially in regards to color, texture, form and composition. His painting have been described as warm and dreamlike, a place of restful escape with a sense of spirituality. Says Lorusso, "I believe truly great art serves as a trigger into something deeper within all of us."