About the Artst

Stefan Arteni was born in Bucharest and has lived in Rome and New York. He has pursued studies in architecture, art history, fine arts, icon and mural painting, and the restitution and conservation of architectural monuments. He is also proficient in several languages and has worked for Vatican Radio as an art historian and commentator for many years.

Mr. Arteni’s interest in calligraphy began in high school. He studied with Chinese, Korean and Japanese teachers and is now pursuing calligraphy with Professor Tanaka Setsuzan, a living master and president of the Nihon Shodo Geijutsu Kyokai (The Japan Calligraphy Art Association) founded by Professor Kamijo Shinzan, one of the top calligraphers from Japan. In 1996 and in 2005, Arteni was awarded the Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister's Grand Prize for Calligraphy in a competition organized by the Japan Calligraphic Art Academy in Tokyo and in 1999, the silver award for Kana (linked writing). He is the first Western artist to master the art of seal cutting and also pioneered the art of sumi ink monoprinting and large-size seal cutting, and explored the technique of clay monoprinting.

He has extensively exhibited his paintings and calligraphy throughout Europe, the United States and in Japan. In 2001, his works were featured in the prestigious exhibit: "Contemporary Calligraphy Masters" at the Tokyo Ginza Gallery Museum ( Tokyo) and Doizaki Galleries ( Los Angeles). In 2000, he participated in the "A New Perspective on Contemporary Calligraphy: A Dialogue with Modern Sinitic Writing Art" (December 2000 - January 2001), Taiwan Museum of Art and Seaport Art Center ( Taichung, Taiwan). His works have also been shown at Kobe Art Hall, ( Kobe, Japan), Doul Art Center ( Seoul), Wesleyan University, Tweed Museum ( Minnesota), Seton Hall University, Sumner Museum ( Washington, DC), St. Mark's Library (NYC) and at the Foreign Press Club ( Rome).

Arteni has authored over one-hundred radio broadcasts and published papers on art history, the manufacture of artist's materials, and the techniques and materials of painting. In recent years, he has lectured on and demonstrated calligraphy (Greek, Sanskrit, Chinese, and Japanese), and participated in workshops at the Freeman Center for East Asian Studies at Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT (1998); Columbia University, New York ; and St. Mark's Library, General Theological Seminary, New York .

He is co-founder of Sol Invictus Press and his one-of-a-kind and limited-edition published books have been widely exhibited: Harper Collins (New York), Center for Book Arts (New York), Marymount College (New York), F. I. R. A. (Montreal), Soho Biennial (New York), The Armory (New York), Andrew Melon Auditorium ( Washington, DC), Phoenix Public Library ( Phoenix, Arizona) and The Corcoran ( Washington, DC).

Stephan Arteni's work is represented at The New York Public Library, Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies, Wesleyan University, Bridwell Library, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Phoenix Public Library, Phoenix, Arizona

Stefan Arteni lives and works in Queens