Imagine the colors of a vast Tuscan vineyard drenched in a September sun — emerald green leaves, gnarled brown vines, deep purple grapes, shale earth, azure sky — an artist's inspiration for both palette and palate. For renowned Italian artist Sandro Chia, 63, these Tuscan colors, soaked into the ancient stories of the land, feed the roots of his life and work.
In 1985, Chia bought the Castello Romitorio winery, a crumbling castle and estate in the Siena hills of Tuscany, and has since transformed it into one of the top producers of Tuscany's most famous wines, Brunello di Montalcino. Restoring the castle and winery is one of his life works, and the aromatic Brunello wines seem to parallel the man himself — transformed through aging and now at their peak. Like his wine, Chia's works are ready to be savored.
The Italian Cultural Institute is now offering an opportunity to do just that. Until Dec. 17, as part of the "Italy in Japan" celebration, Chia is showing "Campestre Romantico" ("Romantic Bucolic"), an exhibition including 50 new drawings (some on Japanese paper), an oil canvas (2002) and a video installation.
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