Pensofino. 

I am Enio’s largest collector and active patron. This platform was created to tell our story and promote his artwork. Please find out more about Enio in the ENIO/Biography section of the website. 

I first encountered Enio’s work in January 2020 by pure chance while vacationing in Argentina. Ever since then, I have been an active supporter and early believer in Enio’s full artistic potential. Beyond merely acquiring many of his early pieces, most recently I have assumed an active role in helping Enio enter the vibrant New York City art scene. Being a member of the Young Patron’s Council at the MoMA has played a major role in shaping my understanding of the arts and the importance of patronage. Under my guidance and sponsorship, Enio successfully applied for and secured a studio residency with the esteemed Martin and Lorraine Kaminsky program, housed within the Mana Contemporary building in Jersey City. Regrettably, due to timing constraints at the US Embassy in Costa Rica, Enio was unable to attend the spring semester residency in 2024. Despite this unfortunate setback, I decided to give Enio a solo exhibition situated in the heart of Tribeca in recognition of the considerable effort put in thus far. Through a collaborative partnership with On the Fringe Gallery, the exhibition is scheduled from July 10th to the 16th, 2024, at 72 Warren St. After accounting for On the Fringe Gallery expenses, proceeds from the exhibition will be reinvested to ensure that Enio can transition into painting full time within a dedicated studio space. 

Pensofino is my creative fusion of the Spanish words “penso” and “fino,” which loosely translate to “having a fine thought.” This term encapsulates what I consider to be a fundamental aspect of art. To me, an artist’s work should be thought-provoking; for thoughts trigger the emotions that give art its heartbeat. 

Engulfed in thoughts and emotions is how I felt upon my initial encounter with Enio’s painting “Ladron de Casa” or “House Thief”. The connection to the painting was inexplicably instant, yet I could not figure out why I was drawn to it so strongly. As l happened to find out later, Enio was raised by his mother in his grandparents’ shack in rural Guanacaste Province in Costa Rica until he was 17. “The House Thief” is a self-portrait and a symbol of how he has felt inside every single place he has lived during his entire adult life since leaving Guanacaste. Feeling like a house thief in your own house, it suddenly all made sense to me. My family and I migrated to the USA when I was a teenager, and that strange in-limbo feeling is all too familiar to me. That is why this painting of an ugly house thief monster somehow spoke to me – I recognized that creature, because I had been in its shoes.    

Enio’s artwork can delve deep into your subconscious in a very subtle way because it comes from a very sincere and personal place. So pure that it holds nothing back; its shape, its honesty and disregard for the viewer’s potential reactions are borderline childlike. It possesses such authenticity in its essence that it remains unconcerned whether it elicits joy, sadness, fear, anger, reverie, embarrassment, or a mix of them all. He is both naïve and fearless with his line and not afraid to indulge some of his artwork’s most obscure and strange desires. It all starts with small, simple sketches of which Enio has drawn thousands. Later, these are tied to personal experiences, ideas, and distant musings from his extensive readings and investigative studies. As the little drawing graduates into a painting, it goes through a very volatile and erratic period where color palettes and lines fight and bleed to death before settling into strong unapologetic images. His artwork commands attention, yet it does not seek validation or present itself flamboyantly. Enio’s art simply relies on the viewer’s subconscious to fall prey to its undeniable primitive energy.

It is this high level of sincerity and perseverance, embodied both in his artwork and personal demeanor, that has compelled me to invest my spare time and resources into his future growth. I hope you find Enio’s artwork as intriguing and thought-provoking as I do, and ultimately decide to join us at the early stage of this exciting new chapter. 

The Patron.