Sebastian Alterera was
born in New York City in
1964. Although his
family was financially
challenged, Alterera’s
mother supplemented
their income selling her
amateur sculpture
throughout Greenwich
Village. Her dedication
to her artwork - despite
the expense of materials
and the lack of ample
free time to pursue her
creativity - greatly
impressed Alterera at a
very young age. He began
to accompany her when
she would sell her work
on sidewalks and to
galleries, and soon
began to sketch figures
himself, well before the
age of 10.
At 15, Alterera’s
father unexpectedly
passed away. The loss
greatly impacted
Alterera, both
emotionally and
practically: his mother
chose to move the family
across the country to
San Francisco to be with
her parents. From this
new sadness and
solitude, Alterera
quickly retreated into
his art, which began to
reflect the influence of
nature on the human
mind. The architecture,
mountains and ocean in
and around San Francisco
became an infinite
source of inspiration.
When the time came,
Alterera was accepted
into the BFA program at
the Ringling School of
Art in Sarasota,
Florida. His talent was
recognized immediately,
earning him the Best of
Ringling Award two years
in a row. Upon
graduating from
Ringling, Alterera
entered the MFA program
at the prestigious
Savannah College of Art
and Design. After
receiving his MFA there
in 1992, he embarked on
further studies in
Naples, Italy.
Alterera’s painting
flourished in Naples,
inspired by the culture
and heritage of that
region. Focusing mostly
on figural painting,
Alterera introduced
several alternative
methods of painting into
his work - such as
drip-painting and thick
collage. After spending
several years in Italy,
Alterera returned to the
U.S., and made a home in
Atlanta.
Alterera’s work has
evolved dramatically
over the years. Although
he still prefers to work
with the human figure,
he has moved on from
realistic figures to
dynamic, figurative
abstracts that reflect
the natural colors and
organic lines inspiring
much of his work. These
abstract pieces are
unique in that they
eschew the cold and
austere mood that is
prevalent in so much
abstract work.
Alterera’s abstract art,
with its deep texture
and earth tones, seems
to live and breathe
emotion almost as much
as his figuratives.
Alterera’s art has
been pursued by
corporate and private
collectors all across
the United States. He
continues to work
primarily out of his
Jessi.
