All it took was a tag on Instagram . And then the unimaginable happened: “ Spike Lee wrote to me privately . He wanted that portrait at all costs. And I - obviously - satisfied him." It is the story of Cino Angioni , an artist from Cagliari born in 1967 who for years has imprinted on canvases the faces of the subjects that characterize him so much. " Slightly dazed characters " animated by " slightly dramatic, slightly ironic colours ", just like the American director - famous for his cinematographic works and his look - who couldn't resist the desire to have in his private collection that painting seen on social media.
«What happened is truly extraordinary», comments Angioni who, rather than a painter, «calls myself a designer». «Lee commented on the post, asking me to check the private messages, where he asked me to sell him the painting. At first I thought it was a "fake", a hoax, in short. But then I saw the more than 2 million followers, so I understood that it was all true." The artist remembers very well how that work came to be. "By chance. As a huge tennis fan I was watching the US Open. And suddenly they framed him, in the stands: Spike Lee, who shares my passion for this sport." From there the inspiration for a first sketch which was transformed into the finished work.
«The canvas – continues Angioni – was then sent, together with others, to a gallery in Palermo which I support for the sale via e-commerce. So when I was asked, I no longer had it. He didn't give up, he immediately showed himself determined to buy it at all costs. He even asked me to block it, to ensure his purchase. When I explained the situation they didn't believe me. They didn't think that such a famous person had really chosen one of my works. In the end we directed him towards the online purchasing platform."
All's well that ends well: «We spoke again when he received everything – concludes Angioni –. He was happy, I promised him that in the future I will send him some other work and he willingly accepted. And I can say that it brought me luck: of my works sent to Palermo it was the first to be sold. Not a bad start."