Matteo Caloiaro, a Florida native, resides in Sarasota, FL with his wife and fellow artist, Brooke Olivares. Matteo is a full time painter and an illustration instructor at Ringling College of Art and Design. His work has been exhibited throughout the East Coast and the Mid-West. Matteo is currently represented by Kiley Court Gallery in Provincetown, MA, Brandt-Roberts Galleries in Columbus, OH, and Palm Avenue Fine Art in Sarasota, FL. He has participated in numerous group exhibitions. Matteo also enjoys surfing, cooking, and spending time with family. Artist StatementSince my first attempts as a painter, the subjects that have most inspired me have been the grittier – or unsavory – parts of life. Whether its hard working people (who may be a bit "rough around the edges") or the environments they inhabit, this kind of imagery has always appealed to me. I do not wish to glorify or embellish these people or places; I only wish to portray the honesty and integrity these humble subjects often possess. "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty..." I Corinthians 1:27