FATHOM | Torquato Art
Michael Torquato deNicola (know as Torquato) is an award winning professional surfer, visual artist and filmmaker. His work has shown in museums and galleries in the US and Europe, including shows at the Amstel Gallery in Amsterdam and Florida, Chase Edwards Gallery in the Hamptons, Art Project Paia on Maui, The Misfit Gallery in La Jolla, and The Laguna Gallery of Contemporary Art, as well as showcased at The Museum of Architecture and Design,The Surfing Heritage Museum and the California Surf Museum. His work is included in several prominent private collections including celebrity and corporate holdings.
Michael works in a style he has termed modern primitivism — his art exhibits the same fluid style as his surfing technique that first made him famous. The compositions combines abstract elements, characters and text into a neo-expressionist format with a west coast vide. The color palettes range from very bright and kinetic to darker moody earth tones, but there is always an underlining humanistic message of hope, love and encouragement.