I was born in Venezuela to an Italian family and since the age of five I was raised and educated in Italy. I studied figurative sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples, Italy. In 1980, at the age of twenty-one, I moved to the United States for advanced studies in bronze casting techniques and to expose myself to a totally new culture, one less inhibited by the authority of history. In 1986 I earned an MFA in sculpture at Western Michigan University, in Kalamazoo, MI. Having more than one place to call home had given me a broader perspective about people, their cultures and their experiences. Having artistic roots in both Europe and the New World has also been a key element of my identity as an artist, as I have approached a contemporary style of figurative sculpture from a classical background. Currently, I am the Sculpture Area Coordinator at Indiana University South Bend. Since my arrival here in 2004, I have been dedicated to my art, my students, and my University.