Matteo Di Ventra

 I was born in Trieste, Italy but grew up in Southern California. Drawing and painting has always been a cornerstone of my life. Growing up, I spent my time drawing cartoons and making comic books. In 2017 I began my journey at Laguna College of Art and Design where I was introduced to oil painting. I soon discovered my love for figure and portrait painting and let it consume my life. My biggest inspiration and mentor at LCAD was my teacher Joseph Todorovitch who inspired me and challenged me to become the painter I am today. I graduated LCAD in 2019 and have been devoloping my personal style and aesthetic ever since. 

* This statement has been provided directly by the artist in association to their 16^th International ARC Salon entries. This content has not been edited for typos or grammatical errors and has not been vetted for accuracy.