Why Does Fazzino, an Italian and Finnish Artist, Paint Jewish Art?
Charles Fazzino has established an artistic niche for himself as a painter of Jewish and Israeli tradition. “My Jewish art collection actually started with my discovery of Kosher food,” remembers Fazzino. “I went to the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan and I was always discovering new restaurants, but as a struggling artist, I couldn’t afford the finer ones. That didn’t matter anymore once I discovered the delis on the Lower East Side. I LOVED them! I was soon exhibiting in the Village art shows and thought the Jewish delis would be an appealing subject, and they were. I began incorporating entire streets in order to capture the unique culture of the area. Eating the food and painting the street scenes led to more research on my part into the people who made this wonderful food. That, in turn, led to my growing knowledge and appreciation of Judaism. I didn’t just wake up one day and decide to paint the Star of David. I have spent years researching and appreciating the Jewish faith, a
