Fernando Mastrangelo Biography

Fernando Mastrangelo (born 13 October 1978) is a Brooklyn-based contemporary artist. He received his M.F.A. in Sculpture from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA (2004), his B.F.A. from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle (2002) and attended the Pilchuck Glass School (2001). Mastrangelo became notable in the press for his use of controversial materials as in the case of "Felix", a sculpture made from cocaine and "La Salvamara", a series using the cremated ashes from the MS 13 Gang. In 2010, he gave a Ted Talk on the nature of art in the era of social networking, detailing the creative process behind "Al One" his collaboration with Napster founder Shawn Fanning. Mastrangelo is founder of a design firm, MMATERIAL, that runs out of his Brooklyn studio.