Sam Papantoniou

Sam grew up in Brooklyn, New York, in a colorful Greek Orthodox family within the tight-knit Italian enclave of Bensonhurst. He was unlike every other kid in the neighborhood - but  not for this reason alone. He was born with hemiplegia, which limited the use of the right side of his body. Unable to play stickball in the street with the other kids, he found comfort and enjoyment in drawing. All he needed was paper and pencil, whatever was lying around. 

Sam grew into a fine illustrator, which led him to the School Of Visual Arts. He thought he would pursue cartooning - until he was introduced to painting. He had never put brush to canvas, but he immersed himself in it with a desire to master this medium. Unlike other artist his age, his gaze fixed on the classics: Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Rafael. These masters still influence his work. Eschewing a particular genre, his paints what inspires him in the moment - portraits and still-life and scenes from nature. He primarily paints with oil on canvas or on walls of size. His touch is subtle but present: an appreciation and joy for timeless subjects and moments in life.