Art Business News: Brazilian artist finds following in New York: Hamilton Aguiar's road to success d

When artist Hamilton Aguiar arrived in the United States in 1986 at the age of 21, he knew only five words in English, "I'm looking for a job." On his first bus ride into Manhattan, a South American passenger struck up a conversation and informed Aguiar of the job he was giving up as a custodian at a midtown art school. So in March 1987, Aguiar walked into the school, spoke the five English words he knew and got the job. He was also offered an opportunity to take an art class and apply for a student visa.

After a period of time, Aguiar was offered a job as a house painter. Life was going along smoothly until Aguiar and his friend were involved in a major motorcycle accident, and Aguiar spent the next six months recovering from a broken back. After five months in bed, he knew that he needed something else. That something else proved to be art.

Aguiar continued to dabble in the creative arts and eventually began to work in faux finishes. He enrolled in New York City's Trompeloy Art School in 1990. After completing the program, Aguiar returned to Brazil to apply and interview for his work visa--a process that took two years to complete. Working in an ad agency as a graphic designer for additional income, he painted the agency's walls and his talent was recognized once again. An interior designer, who was scrambling to complete a new mall entrance, hired Aguiar to faux paint the featured wall. Aguiar was given one night to complete the job. And he did.

Then, in 1993, with his visa in hand, Aguiar returned to South Hampton, NY.

At that time, Aguiar's faux finishing work caught the attention of Ken Verosko, one of New York's most highly sought-after faux finishers. Verosko, who would become Aguiar's mentor, hired Aguiar to work with him on the state capitol building in Louisiana. It was there that Aguiar perfected his wood grains and gold leafing technique and went on to paint the walls of numerous buildings in New York City and the Atlantis Casino in the Bahamas. Numerous other jobs followed under the exacting tutelage of Verosko.

Returning to Brazil for a short time, a well-established gallery owner wanted Aguiar to be a guest artist in an upcoming opening at the gallery. Aguiar created eight paintings in five days, selling his largest piece at a handsome price. This was the beginning of the end of Aguiar's faux-finisher-gilding years. The experience he gained from this work laid the foundation for his career in silver-leaf oil painting.

With this recognition and the sale of a major piece, Aguiar came back to the Hamptons in 1999 and opened his own gallery, Artmosphere. The gallery had shows of artwork by Romero Britto, Norman Rockwell, Burton Morris, Thales and many Brazilian artists. Aguiar continued to supplement his income with gilding and faux-finishing jobs.

Aguiar closed the gallery in 2001 to concentrate on his artwork full time. He moved to a smaller studio and began working on a new series using silver leaf and oil painting. Aguiar set his sights on the 2004 Artexpo New York. He created a sizable body of work and was accepted into the show as an artist in the SOLO Pavilion. Great success followed, as every piece was sold, nine gallery accounts were established and Aguiar signed with Nan Miller to become his publisher and distributor. (For more on Nan Miller, see this month's "Q&A," page 108.)

"I had met Nan five years ago when I operated my own gallery in the Hamptons," recalls Aguiar. "She was the publisher and distributor for Romero Britto, who I admired. Together we planned a few one-man shows with Britto's work in 2000 and 2001, and my relationship with Nan grew. I told her I was going to Artexpo in 2004 and she was excited for me. I was glad when she stopped by my booth because so many of my paintings had sold already in the first day and I wanted her to see what I had been painting. She was very excited about my artwork and said, 'We need to talk. Don't do anything until you hear from me.' There were many interested publishers who stopped by my booth and wanted to represent me and my work, but my relationship with Nan and her strong business sense, abilities, connections and enthusiasm surrounding my work made the choice of trusting her an easy one."

To this, Nan Miller adds, "It is with great pleasure that we announce that Hamilton Aguiar will be living in Rochester for an extended time. As publisher and distributor of Aguiar's artwork, I am overwhelmed and delighted with the response to this artist's work. It is like no other that I have represented in my 35 years in the business. Every gallery owner's greatest desire is to find an artist whose talent is so unique and impressive that individual collectors and gallery owners alike need to have this artwork in their collections. Hamilton Aguiar is that artist.

"The composition of his paintings is inspired by the changing seasons of natural landscapes, which are interpreted in a powerfully monochromatic content. His tranquil scenes can be somewhat mystical and compelling. Depending on the light and the angle in which you look, the artwork changes, draws you in and surrounds you."

Aguiar begins by applying 6-inch squares of silver leaf over the entire linen canvas, a process known as gilding. The result of this silver application leaves subtle squares with a slightly veined look, which becomes the background light of the image. He then creates washes, shadows and often fog with oil paint, applying up to 12 layers to create the desired effect. The image radiates a dramatic light due to the interaction between the richness of the oils and the silver.

Since working with the Nan Miller Gallery, Aguiar's artwork has been exhibited in the Toronto International Art Fair and Art Miami. He recently had one-man shows in Charleston, SC; Aspen, CO; and Rochester, NY. In January 2005, Aguiar moved into a 4,800-square-foot studio in Rochester, NY, and is looking forward to using this space to create larger works, many of which will be shown at Artexpo New York.

"The Nan Miller Gallery not only benefits from having Aguiar living here, but the Rochester community will also benefit," says Miller. "This month, prior to exhibiting at the Artexpo New York, we will present a one-man show of this incredible artist's work."

Aguiar's move to Rochester also will serve to better meet the demands of supplying galleries in many major cities across the United States and Canada. He has rived in the New York City area since coming to the United States 14 years ago and is enjoying the more laid-back pace of Rochester, its cityscape, as well as the landscape of its surrounding areas.

For more information on the work of Hamilton Aguiar, call 585-292-1430; e-mail nmg3450@frontiernet.net; visit www.nanmillergallery.com.

For reprints of this article, contact Charles Lang at 888-772-8926, ext. 266, or e-mail clang@pfpublish.com.