Praised for the impressionist manner in which he painted different figurative scenes, Aldo Luongo first rose to prominence in the 1970s, soon becoming an internationally renowned artist.
Luongo was born in 1941 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts. Throughout his life, he had two passions, one was art and the other one - soccer. Following the end of his studies, the young painter was invited to the USA to play professionally for the New York Generals. An injury ended his sporting career prematurely and Luongo found himself completely immersed in the world of art.
Throughout his body of work, Aldo Luongo nurtures the same creative energy embodied within every stroke and color, regardless of the medium. Pictorially sensible, his works are a mixture of melancholy and optimism, while his figures portray a wide spectrum of movement executed with remarkable skill. The most interesting figure in his work is “The Hawk”, a recurring motif of a man, an archetypal character the artist created from the memories of his father and contemplations of himself. Layered with meaning, Luongo’s works go beyond the figurative and visual, evoking a range of life’s experiences in a subtle, unimposing and refined way.
Aldo Luongo’s practice is centered mostly around drawing and oil painting, oriented towards the exploration of human figures, often in pairs, embraced. The first works that won critical acclaim were his famous black and white drawing reproductions, printed in multiple editions in the 1970s. In the following four decades, Luongo became renowned throughout the world, winning numerous awards for his work. He was appointed an official Olympic Artist three times, in 1988, 1996 and 2002, an official World Cup Artist in 1998, an official U.S. Women’s World Cup Artist in 1999 and he won the prestigious title of the Sports Artist of the Year in 1999, proclaimed by the US Sports Museum. His notable exhibitions include showcases at The Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., at the Museum of Science and Industry in Los Angeles, and at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, to name only a few. His paintings can be found in numerous collections, some of which belong to Kevin Costner, Argentine President Menem, Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen and Geena Davis, among others.
Although he was not able to pursue a career in sports, Aldo Luongo did find a way to stay close to it and connect the two spheres he enjoys the most through art.
