BIOGRAPHY
William Sorvillo displayed a penchant for the arts from a very young age. At fifteen, he began having lucid dreams of future paintings which continue to inform his work today. From spiritual and religious themes to perspectives on social justice, civil rights, love and loss, he is the conduit through which his artwork expresses itself.
The son of an Episcopal priest, Sorvillo has sought to deepen his understanding of the human condition by exploring art and spirituality from various perspectives. He has lived with Hindu swamis in the south of India where he taught tantric yoga, and with Augustinian monks in San Gimignano, where he studied the Renaissance masters in Florence, Italy. He has also studied with Lakota Medicine Men on the reservations of South Dakota, Buddhist monks in Japan, yogis in the caves of the Himalayas, and a shaman from Peru.
His art has been shown in galleries around the globe from New York City and Brooklyn to Miami, Santa Fe and South Korea. In Seoul, his painting Malagueñas was the flagship piece for the US-South Korea International Art Show during the 2018 Olympics. His work has also appeared in Vanity Fair and on The Bloomberg Channel.
Sorvillo has lived and painted in Bushwick, Brooklyn since 2012.
ARTIST STATEMENT
“I believe that art has the power to challenge perceptions, bring people together and heal fractured relations. It is a thoroughfare for consciousness, urging us all to expand and evolve. I am committed to using my gifts to create pieces that provoke thought, evoke emotions, and begin conversations with those who view them.
My goal is to express the complexities of the human experience in a simple way. The more personal my art, the more universal, because as humans, we share a common core. My wish is that it will inspire others to reflect on their own lives and discover new and different perspectives.
Using a combination of traditional techniques and contemporary styles, I strive to create bold and dynamic works that engage the viewer. I aim to depict moments of beauty within chaos and explore the themes of identity, connection, and the search for meaning in an ever-changing world.”
Shows
Jun 2023 - July 2023: "Continents" with Galeria Azur, The Bowery, New York (Group Exhibit)
Dec 2022 - Feb 2023: "Friends Exhibition" with Salomon Arts Gallery, Tribeca, New York (Group Exhibit)
Nov 2022: "Art and Spirituality" guest speaker at New Canaan Mens' Society
Sep 2022 - Oct 2022: “Edges” Galeria Azur Pop Up at Quebracho Framing, Bushwick, NY
Sep 2022 - Oct 2022: “Kunst & Klima VI” Novum Investments Gallery, Basel, Switzerland
Sep 2020 - Oct 2020: “Ustopia” at Galleria Ca’ d’Oro, Chelsea, New York
Nov 2019 - May 2020: “Play Me” by Mitte Projects & Wynwood Arts 29, Miami, Florida
Sep 2019: Bushwick Open Studios, Brooklyn, New York
Feb 2018: “Korea-US International Contemporary Art Exhibition” at Chosun-Ilbo Gallery, Seoul, South Korea (Group Exhibition)
Mar 2017: Drift Studio. Chelsea, New York (Solo Show)
Sep 2015: Drift Studio. Chelsea, New York (Solo Show)
Jun 2015: The Rookery, Bushwick Open Studios, Brooklyn, New York (Solo Show)
Jun 2014: The Jeffersonian. Bushwick Open Studios, Brooklyn, New York
Jun 2013: The Jeffersonian. Bushwick Open Studios, Brooklyn, New York
Jun 2012: The Jeffersonian. Bushwick Open Studios, Brooklyn, New York
Sep 2011: Swoope Gallery. Orlando, Florida (Solo Show)
Jun 2011: The Luxx Hotel. Santa Fe, NM (Solo Show)
Sep 2010: “The New Renaissance”, Alan Day Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
Aug 2010: Art Space. Santa Fe, NM (Co-Feature with 2nd Artist)
May 2010: Alan Day Gallery. Santa Fe, NM
Apr 2010: Art Roxx, Santa Fe, NM
William Sorvillo at his 2015 show at Drift Studios in Chelsea New York. Courtesy Todd Muchow