Photos courtesy of Theodhoraq Napoloni

Hydrogen Cycle

Theodhoraq Napoloni

BLACKSBURG -- As a child, Theodhoraq Napoloni loved to draw.

When Napoloni was about 5 or 6, his uncle, a painter, brought him art supplies while visiting Napoloni's home in Durres, Albania.

"I was always drawing, and I guess he saw it in me," Napoloni said. "He didn't tell me I was going to be a painter, but he brought me the colors."

Those supplies helped led to a lifelong passion for painting. Napoloni, known as Theo, came to Blacksburg in January 2008 for a change of pace from his hometown.

"I needed a new experience," said Napoloni, 27.

He said he chose Blacksburg because he had an Albanian friend who had settled in the area. He wanted to be near someone he knew while adjusting to the United States.

The friend has since gone back to Albania, but Napoloni said he's not ready to leave for good yet.

"If something beautiful happens, I'll stay here," he said. "If not, I'll go somewhere else."

He visits home three or four times a year, he said, mostly for exhibitions. He has also exhibited his oil and acrylic paintings in Italy, Austria, Greece, Germany and Kosovo.

Napoloni said his art, which he describes as "hyper-realism," represents his vision of the world, both conscious and unconscious.

"It's like a piece of my story and an expression of my feelings," he said. "It's how I see the world, a part of my history."

Napoloni also paints landscapes, two of which are currently displayed in Art Pannonia in Blacksburg.

"I think he is a professional, despite his young age, and he shows a lot of promise," gallery owner Judy Garbera said. "He can paint in several styles."

He also does "beautiful nudes," Garbera said. Napoloni also has work at Ceritano's Ristorante in Blacksburg, where he used to work.

Napoloni's style varies depending on where he will be exhibiting, he said. He said he took the landscapes to Art Pannonia because he thought they would have broad appeal to customers.