Eric Finzi Biography

At the age of 10, Eric Finzi’s artistic ability became clear after his art teacher accused him of cheating in a book cover project.  She believed he must have stenciled a copy of the Egyptian mummy he drew free hand so to convince her he created a new cover in a different size.  His parents decided then to get him private lessons in oil painting.  When he turned 13, he received a scholarship to a life painting class at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.  By the age of 15 he was studying with Harvey Dinnerstein at the Arts Student League in New York City.  Finzi then received another scholarship to Greenwich House School of Pottery in New York.  At age 16, Finzi taught ceramics at Cornwall Summer Workshop in Connecticut and started college in the fall at the University of Pennsylvania where he studied both fine arts and biochemistry.  At 20 years old, he was awarded a full scholarship to the M.D./Ph.D program at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.  While studying medicine, he began taking evening classes at the Art Students League under the tutelage of Vincent Malta and Raphael Soyer.  After receiving his Ph.D on yeast mitochondrial protein synthesis in the fall, he enrolled full-time in the Art Students League with artist Knox Martin.  Finzi then moved to Montpellier, France to paint.  He moved back to America to finish his medical studies and began a full time position as a Laboratory Fellow at the National Cancer Institute.  Shortly thereafter, he started a weekend sculpture class at the Corcoran in Washington, DC.  Much to his dismay, he was kicked out of the laboratory by the lab chief because his weekend art classes showed a lack of commitment to science.  He left the lab to  start his residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital in the Dermatology department.   After completing his residency in 1991,  he began pursuing a mixture of painting, sculpture and dermatology. 

2010

2008
Orbs , Perihelion Arts, Bridge Art Fair, New York, NY

Orbs , Gallery Imperato, Baltimore, MD

My Double Life: Musings on Sarah Bernhardt, Heineman-Myers Contemporary Art, Bethesda, MD

Orbs, Perihelion Arts, Art 21 , Cologne, Germany

2006
Down the Rabbit Hole , Aidan Savoy Gallery, New York, NY

Through the Looking Glass , Heineman-Myers Contemporary Art, Bethesda, MD

Augustine ,WalterWickiser Gallery, New York, NY

2005
Lewis Carroll , Perihelion Arts, Phoenix, AZ

2003
New Works ,WalterWickiser Gallery, New York, NY

1996
Mental Landscapes , Arts Club ofWashington,Washington, DC

1993
Harmony in Plywood , Friendship Gallery, Chevy Chase, MD

Selected Group Exhibitions

2009
A Diverse Matter, Spectrum Studios, Staunton, VA

2008
Mixology I, Painting and Works on Paper, Curators Office, Washington, DC

Sondheim Prize Semifinalists , Meyerhof Gallery, Baltimore,MD

Washington Project for the Arts Auction,Washington, DC

2007
Bridge Art Fair, Perihelion Arts,  Miami, FL

Everything but the Kitschen Synccurated by Billy Shire, La Luz de Jesus Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

Colorfield REMIX: SATURATED, Heineman-Myers Contemporary Art, Bethesda, MD

Affordable Art Fair, Julio Valdez Studios, New York, NY

Deck, Molten Brothers, Phoenix, AZ

2006
Fresh Paint, Arlington Arts Center, Arlington, VA

Undertow 2, Curated by Alix Sloan, Roq la Rue Gallery, Seattle, WA

Lewis Carroll’s Slippery Spirits(with “Anti-Musings,” by Gidget Gein), Clair Obscur Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

Undertow, Curated by Alix Sloan, Metalstone Gallery, New York, NY

Everything but the Kitschen Sync, Curated by Billy Shire, La Luz de Jesus Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

Janus, Curated by Sarah Tanguy, Maryland Arts Place, Baltimore, MD

2005
Parallel Universe,Curated by Francesco LoCastro, Miami, FL

Culture Shock: Art of the New Movement,Curated by Francesco LoCastro, Miami, FL

The Landscape of the Body, WalterWickiser Gallery, New York, NY

2004
Group show curated by Annie Adjchavanich, HickockWarner Cole, Washington DC

1996
Montpelier Cultural Arts Center, Laurel, MD

The Spectrum: Black & White, Curated by Chris French,Washington, DC

1995
John Wilson Center, Washington, DC

Art Initiatives, New York, NY

Looking Good, Feeling Good,Curated by Michael Ashkin, 450 Broadway Gallery, New York, NY

Fifth Column, Washington, DC

Group show curated by Chris Addison & Sylvia Ripley, Greater Reston Art Center, Reston, VA

1994
Coastal Center for the Arts, St Simons Island, GA

Last Decade, Gallery 57, Los Angeles, CA

Arts & Heritage, Westmoreland, PA

901 E St, Washington, DC

Dreams, Legends and Folklore,  A Salon, Washington, DC

Still Life, A Salon, Washington, DC

Georges County Traveling Show, Curated by Debra Willis