| Artist | Patrizia Vignola | Resides | USA |
| Website | patriziavignola.com | Medium | Oil Graphite Charcoal Watercolor Gouache |
| Print Shop | patriziavignola.com/shopping | Patriziazia@gmail.com | |
| Follow the Artist | Instagram | Facebook | Themes | Portrait Surreal Art Figurative Human Condition Ruff Collar Elizabethan Renaissance Symbolism Circumstances Life and Death Identity Expectations |
About the artist
Patrizia Vignola, a 2D fine artist born in NY currently residing and working in Minnesota, holds an MFA from the New York Academy of Art. Specializing in figurative realism, her work transcends traditional portraiture, exploring emotional and philosophical depths. Through symbolic and surreal elements, she delves into the human condition, consciousness, identity, interconnectedness, and purpose.
Patrizia does not recall a time when she was not either painting, drawing, or creating in some way. Since earning her MFA, she has adeptly balanced full-time teaching work, motherhood, and her artistic endeavors. Although extended periods for focused creating was often difficult to come by, she persisted over the years, recognizing recurring themes. More recently, she feels she has discovered her unique “way of working” and authentic artistic voice. She has received numerous grants and awards for her works and participated in group and solo exhibitions nationwide.
Artwork Themes & Subject Matter
Patrizia’s artistic interests have always been rooted in the human form, more specifically with faces. Despite her adeptness at capturing likenesses, her aim extends beyond traditional portraiture. Her goal is to delve into deeper, more emotional, and philosophical dimensions. Through the eyes of her subjects, she speak to the viewer on things pertaining to the human condition, consciousness, identity, our connection to each other, the word we inhabit, the universe, and our purpose in it.
An emphasis on the circumstances and environments into which we are born emerged in her work after the birth of her daughter 18 years ago, and it remains a central theme today. Patrizia explores the impact of pre-existing expectations and assumptions placed on individuals from the moment of conception. We arrive to life ignorant of them and whether they be established socioeconomic standing, a perceived cultural identity, stereotypes, drug addictions, mental illnesses…etc., they shape us as we grow through our formative years and stay with us long into adulthood. Notably, her fascination with 16th and 17th-century portraiture featuring subjects adorned with ruff collars began to manifest in her art during this period. Extensive research into the symbolism of the ruff collar revealed a profound alignment with her artistic vision.
In Patrizia’s work, the collars transcend mere ornamentation for beauty or wealth. They take on unexpected forms, integrate into backgrounds or subjects, and at times, are inhabited or transformed by other elements, serving as a unique point of communication with the viewer. Over time, these collars have evolved into a dominant, recurring symbol of personal significance, organically guiding her work into the realm of Contemporary Surrealism/Imaginative Realism.
Her work is a continuous exploration of these ideas and serves as a visual commentary of her thoughts on the human experience.
Patrizia’s work beckons viewers to ponder…. What is your collar made of? What narrative does it tell? What mysteries might we find hiding inside it?
Upcoming Exhibitions
| When | Exhibition | Gallery |
| February 2026 | Group exhibition: “Gallery Artists” | Graphite Gallery New Orleans, LA. USA |
| March 2026 | To be announced | Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art Wausau, USA |
CV
Education
1993 MFA in Painting The New York Academy of Art
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2016 Ruffed, Staten Island Museum, Staten Island, NY, United States
Selected Group Exhibitions
2026
Gallery Artist Exhibition, Graphite Gallery, New Orleans, LA. United States
2025
Raging Art On, Invitational Exhibition, Gamut Gallery, Minneapolis, MN. United States
International Biennial Portrait Competition, Wausau, WI, Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Wausau, WI. United States
Almanera Art Prize online Exhibition
International Biennial Portrait Competition, Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Wausau, WI. United States
Studio Pintura, Small Works Salon, Minneapolis, MN. United States
10th Annual National Juried Competition, Wausau, WI, Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Wausau, WI. United States
BFF Modern Portrait, Lake Worth, FL, 33PA Gallery
2024
8th Annual National Juried Competition, Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Wausau, WI. United States
Studio Pintura, Small Works Salon Exhibition, Minneapolis, MN. United States
Raging Art On, Invitational Exhibition, Gamut Gallery, Minneapolis, MN. United States
Memoir, Online exhibition, Curio Gallery, Lancaster, PA. United States
Fine Arts Exhibition, Minnesota State Fair, Minneapolis, MN. United States
Studio Pintura, Members Exhibition, Minneapolis, MN. United States
Visage, Gamut Gallery, Minneapolis, MN. United States
2023
Exhibitor, Museum of Contemporary Art Wausau, WI. United States (Best in Show Award)
Safe Word, The Otherworldly Arts Collective, Jackson Flats Gallery Minneapolis, MN. United States
Unicorn Art Show, The Otherworldly Arts Collective, Jackson Flats Gallery Minneapolis, MN. United States
Art- A- Whirl, Rogue Buddha Gallery, Minneapolis, MN. United States
Raging Art On, Invitational Exhibition, Gamut Gallery. Minneapolis, MN. United States
Fine Arts Exhibition, Minnesota State Fair, Minneapolis, MN. United States
