Richard Ferrugio was born and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He studied Art History at
Princeton University where his Bachelor's thesis dealt with eroticism in the art of Salvador Dali.
While at Princeton, and for several years afterwards, he acted extensively, designed and painted
stage sets and backdrops, and created billboards and silk-screened posters advertising dozens of
productions.
In 1978, Richard formed The Food Gallery Inc which provided full-service special event catering for
clients such as President Reagan and Mayor Koch and for many of New York City's major corporations. During this
time he traveled, photographed and sketched extensively throughout the United States and Canada.
In 1987, Richard began painting, and five years later sold his ovens and refrigerators to pursue his art career.
Originally working in pastels & oil sticks on paper, he now paints primarily in oils on canvas.
Over 80 of his canvases and numerous custom printed photo enlargements of his works are in private collections throughout North America
and Europe.
Vividly colored, dramatically lit, and often featuring unusual
perspective, his "contemporary realist" work depicts psychological moments in time, whether they
be landscapes, figures, interiors or still life. Artists such as Edward Hopper, Giorgio De Chirico,
Gustave Caillebotte, Thomas Hart Benton, and the Canadian Group of Seven inspire him. He works primarily from his
own sketches and a library of his own photography.
Richard moved to Toronto in 1992 where he lived for 4 years, then spent 2 years in Rochester,
MN, and in August, 1998 relocated to Denver. His work has been sold from galleries on Martha's Vineyard, in Toronto, Saugatuck, MI,
the Twin Cities & Rochester, SoHo, NYC, Seaside, FL, and now Denver. He was a featured artist in the Internet arts magazine, Sabine, in the May, 1997 inaugural issue
as well as the August, 1997, and November, 1998 issues. For the month of January, 1998, Richard was an "Artist in Residence" at Florida's
Seaside Institute in their Escape to Create Program. Richard accepts commissions, and also sells privately from his
studio via this Web Site.