Anita Sto (b. 1981) is a self-taught Multimedia Visual Artist. Originally from Rome (Italy), she studied Architecture and received the BFA in Illustration. Few years later, in the early 2000s she moved to Brooklyn NY, where currently lives and works.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My works are generally autobiographical and centered on themes including time, impression, perception, space and belonging. My goal is to go beyond gender, race and culture and tap into something more universally human of what I see in that human chaos. I use different media (photography, painting, drawing and digital art) devoted to recreate and present concepts often based on repetitions, geometry and numbers. To tell a story I use three colors, black, white and blu.
My hope is that people will find their own stories in my works.
-
2004-2007
BA Fine Art and Illustration
Istituto Europeo di Design, Rome
2000-2004
Bachelor Interior Architecture
University of Rome La Sapienza
Valle Giulia, Rome
RESIDENCIES2009
LetterPress On The Vandercook Press
by Daniel Gardiner Morris
The Arm LetterPress Studio and Gallery, New York
Painting Between Realism & Abstraction
by Andrew Castrucci
School of Visual Arts, New York
2008
Painting and Mixed Media
School of Visual Arts, New York
2005
Children’s Books Illustration
La Fabbrica delle Favole, MacerataEXTRACURRICULA
2010
The Body on Display:
Performance Art, 1970 to Today
by Jovana Stokic
MoMA, Education and Research Building
4 West 54 Street, New York, NY -
2013
TO SLEEP, PERCHANCE TO DREAM
A collaboration piece with Giorgio Savona
Broadway Gallery NYC
473 Broadway 7th Floor, New York, NY 10013
2012
EVERYTHING BEGINS WITH AN OBJECT IN THE REAL WORLD
Broadway Gallery NYC
Curated by Whitney V. Hunter
Producer-Project Manager Man-Lai Liang
473 Broadway 7th Floor, New York, NY 10013
2011
HEADS FOR SALE
Broadway Gallery NYC
Curated by Anita Sto and Whitney V. Hunter
473 Broadway 7th Floor, New York, NY 10013
2010
UNTITLED
Atlas Cafe
Curated by Anita Sto and Edoardo Anselmi
116 Havemeyer St, Brooklyn, NY 11211
2008
ME & MR.B
Mondello Ottica
Curated by Anita Sto
Via del Pellegrino 21, 00186 Rome
2007
LA MIA TESI
Vineria dei Leoni
Curated by Anita Sto and Paolo Aroldo Sanvitto
Via della Scala 51, 00186 Rome -
2025
SOME-BODY #1
248 McKibbin street, at Mr. Kills
Brooklyn, New York
Curated by Anita Sto
2024
BUSHWICK OPEN STUDIOS
248 McKibbin street, at Mr. Kills
Brooklyn, New York
Curated by Anita Sto
MR.KILLS
248 McKibbin street
Brooklyn, New York
Curated by Anita Sto
2022
BUSHWICK OPEN STUDIOS
248 McKibbin street, Loft 4B
Brooklyn, New York
Curated by Anita Sto
2016
BORDERLESS
Lite-Haus Gallery
Mareschstr. 4
Berlin, Germany
Curated by David Christopher Terry
2014
FALL GRAND SALON SHOW
Greenpoint Gallery
390 Mcguinness Blvd Brooklyn, New York 11222
Curated by Shawn James
2013
PANGEA
Group Show by artists participating in NYFA's Immigrant Artists Mentoring Program
20 Jay Street, Brooklyn, New York
Curated by David C. Terry
2012
YOUR FACE IS A LANDSCAPE, Show#10
Field Projects
526 W 26th Street, #807, New York
Curated by Sara Reisman & Reina Shibata
WORK/SPACE 2012
The Invisible Dog Art Center
51 Bergen Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Curated by Whitney V. Hunter
2011
WORK/SPACE 2011
The Invisible Dog Art Center
51 Bergen Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Curated by Whitney V. Hunter
PERCEZIONI URBANE
Atelier degli Artisti
Via dell’Arco di San Callisto 40, Rome, 00186
Curated by Kelly Costa
2010
TRIPLE FIFTY
B&AB Art Space
80 Ainslie Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Curated by Brian Balderston
OPEN STUDIOS_01
The Invisible Dog Art Center
51 Bergen Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
ON THE GRID
Camel Art Space
722 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Curated by Chris McGee and Rob de Oude
WHAT’S THE POINT?
Fundraising event at La Pomme
37 West 26th Street, New York, NY 10010
Curated by LJ3
CITTA’ DI NEW YORK
Hotel Jolly Madison
22 E 38th Street New York, NY 10016
Curated by Paolo Guccione
2009
BRONX BLUE BEDROOM PROJECT
Blue Bedroom
309 Alexander Ave, Bronx, NY 11105
Curated by Blanka Amezkua
2008
OPEN STUDIOS
School of Visual Arts
209 East 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010
LE FLEURES DU MAL
Libreria Fahrenheit 451
Campo dè Fiori 44, 00186 Rome
Curated by Roberto Savi
FAMA DA LUPO
Galleria Vecchia Pescheria
Savignano sul Rubicone, Ravenna
Curated by Gianni Zauli
194:NON TOCCARLA
Women Political Campaign
Curated by Martina Venettoni
2007
LA CITTA’ IN MOSTRA
C.S. Rialto Sant’Ambrogio
Via di Sant’Ambrogio 4, 00186 Rome
Curated by Genuine Roman Art
-
PRIZES AND AWARDS
2013
NYFA Mentoring Program for Immigrant Artists
2009
Premio Citta' di New York
Centro Diffusione Arte, Palermo
PUBLICATIONS2012
Photo Catalog by Mondello Ottica
VETRINE D’AUTORE
Allemandi Editore
2009
Rivista Boe'
Centro Diffusione Arte
2008
Book Cover
QUATTRO STORIE PIU’ UNA
Michele Di Salvo Editore
Illustrations
LA NOBILE ARTE, Catalogue
Graphic Artist, cover and sleeve
LA CENA, Lorenzo Lambiase
Illustrations
LE FLEURES DU MAL, Catalogue
2007
Art Portraits
RITRATTORIA ROMANA, Catalogue
San Pellegrino spa
2006
Book Cover
SORRIDIMI ANCORA
Giulio Perrone Editore
Book Cover
NELL’ARIA DEL TUO GIARDINO
Giulio Perrone Editore -
Ian & Spencer
Christian James Bauer
Matt Murphy
Jesse Poe and Daniela Colaianni
Ko-Rely Pi
Lisa Balasso
Manuela Vu Trieu
Justin Peyser and Michelle Hobart
Adeeb Asfari
Aframe Studio, New York
Creamhotel, New York
Jeremy Galen
Photograph by Malcolm Brown, 2010
A text from Joanne Howard
Many aspects of “self” are examined, in a variety of media, in Anita Sto’s work. Whether in video, works on paper or with text, Sto’s work pays attention to the unrelenting tension between internal and external forces.
In her video work, Sto relies on her own reflection as the portal into themes of identity, loneliness and the unrelenting reality of our shared solitary status. In “Black Box of Consciousness”, Sto confronts a mirror and waits for an emotional outburst that reduces her to tears. Because the loop begins with a face in repose, the arc from serene to sobbing is extreme, giving way to reactions that range from thrillingly voyeuristic, to tragic and empathetic, to strangely (and perhaps inappropriately) comedic.
In her year long performance “One Year Living Without Mirror” Sto was able to reinforce her commitment to her internal life and sense of isolation. She deprived herself of the ordinary rituals of grooming and perhaps more importantly, the simple visual reminder of existence as confirmed by seeing ones’ reflection. This year long performance provided her with a self-imposed marginalization and further underscored her sense of aloneness.
The “process” dimension in Sto’s performance pieces is also evident in her works on paper. Daily rituals are again utilized and practiced in the form of mark making. She uses one ballpoint pen until its depletion in one series, and a manual typewriter as a conduit for rhythm and pattern through word repetition.
Embracing the mechanical regularity of the typewriter becomes a form of momentum or inertia. This mechanical rhythm is also examined in a series of drawings made on a vintage player piano roll, where images respond to patterns that both suggest and replace the paper’s original intention, a piece of music.
Sto’s quest for meaning through the practice of daily rituals asserts that the answers are at arms reach, and found in the ordinary. The discipline and routine inherent in ritual includes a sense of both work and play. There is evidence of this duality present in the work, where levity and seriousness find equilibrium.