Antoinette Legnini – NAP Virtual Resident 2019

Annie Legnini (b. 1994) is an artist born and raised in the Bronx. She graduated from Fordham University in 2016 with a B.A. in Visual Arts and Women’s Studies. Legnini’s main body of work is comprised of mixed media portraits. She paints faces in realistic detail and then collages repurposed objects on the remainder of the portrait to create features like hair, glasses, and clothing. The materials that Legnini uses may seem to be outdated or disposable, but serve to ignite a sense of nostalgia and familiarity, like her use of childhood Pokemon cards or expired Metrocards. Legnini feels that what has built us to be who we truly are today may sometimes feel distant, outdated, and unpolished; but these humble beginnings are where we built our foundational scaffolding, got our sea legs, and learned how to navigate this world. And so she uses objects and memorabilia in portraits to time travel to these early foundational days and weave a more personal relationship between the audience and her art. She is best known for her collaborative community art project called Bronx Faces: a series that pairs the stories and experiences of Bronx natives with a personalized mixed media portrait. Legnini has participated in the 2019 L.A. Summer Residency at Otis College in Los Angeles, and the 2018 Mixed Media Residency at Con Artist Collective in New York City. She is also a recipient of the BRIO award in 2018. Today, Legnini is a Teaching Artist with Spark: an art, yoga, and meditation program for kids all across New York City. Legnini lives and works in the Bronx.