Enrico Ghinato

Enrico Ghinato was born in Lendinara (Rovigo) in 1955. His mother Franca was a housewife and his father, Vito, an auto mechanic. His family immigrated to Milan in 1960 when Enrico was only a child. It is in his father’s shop that he first becomes interested in motors, trial motorbike rallies and classic cars. In 1974, he receives his diploma from the Technical Institute of Milan. Enthused with cars and music, especially the Beatles, he makes use of his camera lens to capture significant images. In 1978 Ghinato marries his fiancé, Marisa, a native of Pieve di Cadore and settles there. In 1978 his son, Alessandro is born and in 1986 a daughter, Paola. Enrico divides his time between the family wholesale optical business and his painting. In the early 90’s, he begins to dedicate more time to his designs and painting. Ghinato takes on the challenge of transforming photographic images into color and form on canvas using oil painting techniques. He adopts a hyper-realistic style integrating optical effects and reflections of images on the canvas and his first solo exposition is inaugurated in 2003 at the Contini Gallery of Art in Cortina d’Ampezzo. Critics and public viewers welcome his style and his show is a huge success affirming Ghinato’s collective imagination. The second exposition of his artworks, in particular, his hyper-realistic images of automobiles is held in August 2005 at the Contini Gallery in Cortina and in October 2005 at the Contini Gallery in Venice. In April of 2006, the Contini Gallery once again sponsors the artist collaborating with the City Hall of Lendinara and the automobile club, “Amici Auto d’epoca”, in a personal exposition. Enrico Ghinato maintains his permanent residence and studio in Pieve di Cadore. His wife Marisa carries on her involvement in the family-run optical business and continues to be an important and influential companion for Enrico.