In San Demetrio Corone, in the province of Cosenza, Franco Azzinari, a world-famous tree painter, was born. After the death of his parents, he left Calabria at the age of 14. Thus begins the journey of its formation for a long time and in different countries of Europe. For several years, he lived in Paris, where he was fascinated by the great impressionist painters, such as Gauguin, Van Gogh, and Monet, artists who had a significant influence on his formation. To make a living in France, he started taking portraits of tourists on the street. In 1973 he settled in Lerici, Liguria, where in 1974, he opened his first personal exhibition in the gallery “La Cattedrale.” In 1992, during a visit to Cuba, he rediscovered the characters, landscapes, places and colors of his native land. He has traveled a lot to Far Asia, Africa, Cuba and Brazil, the Seychelles islands, bringing characters as those of Hemingway or the Greek mythology. Fascinated by Ernest Hemingway, he followed in the writer’s footsteps and painted the places and characters he loved so much, both in Cuba and Kenya and Tanzania. He went to Greece, where he was inspired by the Greek mythology and created a series of works that reflect the characters and landscapes of the country. He currently lives between Italy and Greece. (In the photo: Franco Azzinari)
Text: Center of Studies and Publications for Arbëresh
Photo: © Center of Studies and Publications for Arbëresh
Graphic processing: AHCF
