2015 April / 2015 April

Skate Park Krusty is off to Tokyo, Japan! I’m super excited to announce that my art piece was chosen for Art Olympia – アートオリンピア 2015, an exclusive international art competition. Artworks from approximately 240 artists were selected from three major cities – Tokyo, New York and Paris. All of us who were chosen to participate will undergo the final review in Tokyo by a panel of judges invited from around the world. The exhibition is tentatively scheduled for June 13 – 28, 2015 at the Toshima City Government Office Building in Ikebukuro, Tokyo.

There are two rounds to this contest. The first round is regional, conducted in New York, Paris and Tokyo. 80 pieces (60 open category/20 students) from each regional market base were selected to proceed to the final round in Tokyo. Art Olympia aims to promote global cultural exchanges through art. is an open art competition held as a biennial event with the goal of discovering talented artists around the world and supporting their activities. The judging will be conducted by domestic and foreign art experts as jurors. My art piece was selected for this amazing competition, Skate Park Krusty, from my Obsessions & Meditations series. This piece was made with acrylic, craypas, paint pen, and archival glitter on canvas – 24” x 24” unframed.

With three entry bases in Tokyo, New York, and Paris, Art Olympia is a public art contest open to artists from all over the world with the goal of discovering talent. Established as a biennale, the contest will be held every two years. Prizes will be distributed to the winners to help them advance their path and their creative scope. Using a fair and transparent judging process to determine the winners, Art Olympia aims to achieve an international and multidimensional approach in judging. A universal point system is used and applicants will know their standing, points and ranking.

Having been selected for this prestigious international art competition has officially propelled me into the global art circuit. I’m so proud to participate in this incredible contest and exhibition in Tokyo, it validates for me that my work has mass appeal and crosses cultural borders. I’m really happy that people are able to connect with a part of me through my artwork, and as a globally recognized artist, I now have the opportunity to touch art aficionados all over the world.

It is an honor to have been selected by Saatchi Art for their new collection. My art piece Downtown Traffic Lights Plague the Milford Building from my Obsessions & Meditations series was chosen to be included in Saatchi Art’s ‘In Celebration of Basquiat and Street Art’ – Curated by Jessica McQueen, the Assistant Curator at Saatchi Art.

Write-up via Miami’s No. 1 Art Blog, Miami Art Scene: “New England & New York-based mixed media artist Vito Bonanno‘s Downtown Traffic Lights Plague the Milford Building was selected by Saatchi Art for inclusion in their new collection: ‘In Celebration of Basquiat and Street Art’. Curated by Jessica McQueen, the Assistant Curator at Saatchi Art –> Bonanno’s mix of hyper-focused Autism inspired work blends street art, pop culture and dreams from his unfiltered world. A nationally recognized artist who taps into the daily emotional and social challenges of living with autism, placing his innermost feelings onto canvas.”

Saatchi Art created this new collection in honor of the Basquiat exhibition now on view at the Brooklyn Museum, inspired by street art and the works of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Saatchi Art is the world’s leading online art gallery, connecting people with art and artists they love. Saatchi Art offers an unparalleled selection of paintings, drawings, sculpture and photography in a range of prices, and it provides artists from around the world with an expertly curated environment in which to exhibit and sell their work. Based in Los Angeles, Saatchi Art is redefining the experience of buying and selling art by making it easy, convenient and welcoming for both collectors and artists.