ARTIST BIO
Robert Leone is a self-taught hyperrealist known for pen and graphite portraits of musicians and pop culture icons. Working in multiple mediums, he creates intricate portraits that capture not only the likeness of his subjects, but the small expressions and traits that make each one unmistakable.
Born in Queens, NY, and raised on Long Island, Leone discovered his artistic passion at a young age while recovering from a medical condition. Armed with only a #2 pencil and a notebook, he sketched faces from magazines, books, and album covers, using both music and drawing as an escape and creative outlet.
Leone earned a BA in Economics and Graphic Design from Binghamton University (1994). After working in New York’s financial sector, his path back to fine art began when he saw Chuck Close’s Big Self-Portrait at MoMA’s 1998 retrospective of Close’s work. The sheer scale and meticulous detail of the work sparked his fascination with hyperrealism and inspired his eventual return to art.
In 2014, he reignited that passion with Clarence, his first completed piece in years. Initially working in pen, he soon embraced graphite, which has since become his primary medium for its range, control, and versatility. His pieces, recognized for their meticulous craftsmanship, have been exhibited at CONTEXT Art Miami, Spectrum Miami (where he received the Best New Exhibitor Award), Superfine! Art Fair in Washington, DC, and on the screens of Times Square with CUBE Art Fair.
Now living and working in Fort Lauderdale, FL, Leone continues to refine his style, devoting the patience and precision each piece demands. Original drawings are available by inquiry, and select works are offered as limited edition fine art prints.
ARTIST STATEMENT
I create hyperrealistic portraits of iconic musicians and pop culture figures in pen and graphite, rendered with an obsessive precision that blurs the line between drawing and photography.
Music has been the backdrop of my life for as long as I can remember, and that connection is what draws me to these subjects. I am deliberate in selecting images that capture their true essence: the clothing they wear, the accessories that define them, and the small details that make them unmistakably themselves.
Beyond capturing their likeness, I am drawn to the challenge of rendering materials and surfaces so precisely that a viewer can almost sense them: the weight of fabric, the rich grain of leather, the cool sheen of glass, and the elusive drift of smoke.
There is something deeply satisfying about creating that sensory experience through nothing more than pen or pencil on paper, and watching the moment someone stops, looks closer, and realizes with disbelief that what they are looking at is a drawing.
ARTIST BIO
Robert Leone is a self-taught hyperrealist known for pen and graphite portraits of musicians and pop culture icons. Working in multiple mediums, he creates intricate portraits that capture not only the likeness of his subjects, but the small expressions and traits that make each one unmistakable.
Born in Queens, NY, and raised on Long Island, Leone discovered his artistic passion at a young age while recovering from a medical condition. Armed with only a #2 pencil and a notebook, he sketched faces from magazines, books, and album covers, using both music and drawing as an escape and creative outlet.
Leone earned a BA in Economics and Graphic Design from Binghamton University (1994). After working in New York’s financial sector, his path back to fine art began when he saw Chuck Close’s Big Self-Portrait at MoMA’s 1998 retrospective of Close’s work. The sheer scale and meticulous detail of the work sparked his fascination with hyperrealism and inspired his eventual return to art.
In 2014, he reignited that passion with Clarence, his first completed piece in years. Initially working in pen, he soon embraced graphite, which has since become his primary medium for its range, control, and versatility. His pieces, recognized for their meticulous craftsmanship, have been exhibited at CONTEXT Art Miami, Spectrum Miami (where he received the Best New Exhibitor Award), Superfine! Art Fair in Washington, DC, and on the screens of Times Square with CUBE Art Fair.
Now living and working in Fort Lauderdale, FL, Leone continues to refine his style, devoting the patience and precision each piece demands. Original drawings are available by inquiry, and select works are offered as limited edition fine art prints.
ARTIST STATEMENT
I create hyperrealistic portraits of iconic musicians and pop culture figures in pen and graphite, rendered with an obsessive precision that blurs the line between drawing and photography.
Music has been the backdrop of my life for as long as I can remember, and that connection is what draws me to these subjects. I am deliberate in selecting images that capture their true essence: the clothing they wear, the accessories that define them, and the small details that make them unmistakably themselves.
Beyond capturing their likeness, I am drawn to the challenge of rendering materials and surfaces so precisely that a viewer can almost sense them: the weight of fabric, the rich grain of leather, the cool sheen of glass, and the elusive drift of smoke.
There is something deeply satisfying about creating that sensory experience through nothing more than pen or pencil on paper, and watching the moment someone stops, looks closer, and realizes with disbelief that what they are looking at is a drawing.
ARTIST BIO
Robert Leone is a self-taught hyperrealist known for pen and graphite portraits of musicians and pop culture icons. Working in multiple mediums, he creates intricate portraits that capture not only the likeness of his subjects, but the small expressions and traits that make each one unmistakable.
Born in Queens, NY, and raised on Long Island, Leone discovered his artistic passion at a young age while recovering from a medical condition. Armed with only a #2 pencil and a notebook, he sketched faces from magazines, books, and album covers, using both music and drawing as an escape and creative outlet.
Leone earned a BA in Economics and Graphic Design from Binghamton University (1994). After working in New York’s financial sector, his path back to fine art began when he saw Chuck Close’s Big Self-Portrait at MoMA’s 1998 retrospective of Close’s work. The sheer scale and meticulous detail of the work sparked his fascination with hyperrealism and inspired his eventual return to art.
In 2014, he reignited that passion with Clarence, his first completed piece in years. Initially working in pen, he soon embraced graphite, which has since become his primary medium for its range, control, and versatility. His pieces, recognized for their meticulous craftsmanship, have been exhibited at CONTEXT Art Miami, Spectrum Miami (where he received the Best New Exhibitor Award), Superfine! Art Fair in Washington, DC, and on the screens of Times Square with CUBE Art Fair.
Now living and working in Fort Lauderdale, FL, Leone continues to refine his style, devoting the patience and precision each piece demands. Original drawings are available by inquiry, and select works are offered as limited edition fine art prints.
ARTIST STATEMENT
I create hyperrealistic portraits of iconic musicians and pop culture figures in pen and graphite, rendered with an obsessive precision that blurs the line between drawing and photography.
Music has been the backdrop of my life for as long as I can remember, and that connection is what draws me to these subjects. I am deliberate in selecting images that capture their true essence: the clothing they wear, the accessories that define them, and the small details that make them unmistakably themselves.
Beyond capturing their likeness, I am drawn to the challenge of rendering materials and surfaces so precisely that a viewer can almost sense them: the weight of fabric, the rich grain of leather, the cool sheen of glass, and the elusive drift of smoke.
There is something deeply satisfying about creating that sensory experience through nothing more than pen or pencil on paper, and watching the moment someone stops, looks closer, and realizes with disbelief that what they are looking at is a drawing.