Louis Fratino synthesizes his own experiences, memories, and fantasies in his intimate, sensual paintings of gay life in the metropolis. In his celebrated male nudes, scenes of entangled bodies, and pictures of subway passengers peering at their reflections, Fratino imbues contemporary subject matter with art historical references. Evoking tenets of Cubism and Fauvism, his paintings often embrace the styles and palettes of early 20th-century modernists such as Pablo Picasso, Fernand Léger, and Henri Matisse. A graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art, Fratino was awarded a Fulbright Research Fellowship in 2016. His work has been exhibited in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Berlin, and Stockholm, among other cities. Along with his portraits and group scenes, Fratino has also painted still lifes and interiors.
American, b. 1993