Born on the island of Sardinia in 1950, Nino Pippa used oil paints to reflect his Mediterranean surroundings from an early age. Since moving to America, Pippa has often returned to his birth nation, with paintbrush in hand, to capture the life and architecture of Italian cityscapes and coastal villages. 

The artist’s work has found homes in private collections throughout the world, enabling Pippa to support himself with his art and even open a fine Italian restaurant in which to display his newest paintings. Patrons come to Nino’s in St. Louis to hear about the artist’s latest adventures and if they’re lucky, to hear him play a melody on the mandolin to match a freshly painted Venetian seascape. 

The Painter’s Philosophy

Pippa sustains a respect for the world around him which is all-embracing and unaffected. While aware of the vandalism of modern man, he believes in the survival of Mother Nature and heightens her presence in every one of his paintings, whether landscape or cityscape. Admirers find in Pippa’s work shared images of the tender beauty which is threatened from all sides. He paints with an honesty which reminds us of a happier, but nonetheless real, world than the one in which we spend our daily lives.

Dissatisfied with Parisian standards and techniques from the Académie des Beaux-Arts, Pippa paints outside and only chooses subjects he feels personally drawn to—often landscapes, street scenes, and figures from everyday life. Pippa is more interested in the effects of light on an object than with exact depiction of form. He captures mist, space and light with triumph, as all his exhibitions demonstrate. Using short brushstrokes, Pippa juxtaposes primary and complementary colors, which blend in brilliant hues and luminous tones when viewed from a distance.