Reminisce by Roberto Cardinale

Artist list

Roberto Cardinale

Reminisce honors the art of ecclesiastical architecture and Cardinale`'s undeniable, love of religious forms. The artist focuses in handmade sculptural objects depicting churches, synagogues, and towers he's seen around the world. Inspirations set closer to home pay tribute to New Mexico missions, churches, and synagogues such as the Loretto Chapel, El Santuario de Chimayó, Temple Montefiore, Our Lady of Light, among others.

The artist has shown a substantial collection of works at Patina over the years, varying in size from 15 inches to 7 feet high. Out of his studio garage, Cardinale has said that it can take him up to 40 hours to complete one sculpture.

An early life as a Benedictine monk, Roberto Cardinale was inspired by the design of sacred spaces, which would manifest later in his sculptures. He left college to enter a monastery, where he began his studies in ecclesiastical architecture and pursued a life of religious devotion. Cardinale has been a ceramicist, sculptor, metalsmith, professor, and president of both the Art Institute of San Antonio and the New Mexico Museum of Art. Today, in addition to his work in sculpture, he’s a realtor for Sotheby’s in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Cardinale captures the emotion imbued in the architecture itself, including its layered, sweeping rooflines, the painted mixtures of color, and molded texture. He also sculpts the likeness of exterior embellishments, working with miniature doors and windows to exquisitely honor scale and proportion.

I'm trained as a sculptor, so I consider these works as sculptures. I really study the form, I take photos. I look at historic photos. I make a few sketches. Then, I start out directly on the wood. I don't do measurements, I do it by feel and by eye. I look at it the way a sculptor would, not a model renderer.
/ Roberto Cardinale

What may compel collectors most of all in Cardinale's works of art is his undeniable, intense love of religious forms. He says he is continuously captivated by the emotional content of his subject, compelled by the language and message of their structures. I like to say that my work is prayerful, and prayer comes about as I work. It’s a spiritual endeavor. I love the process, and love the pieces when they’re successful.

Join us, November 29, 2024, as we present Cardinale's handmade sculptures as beautiful examples of contemporary craft documenting a spiritual and architectural legacy while stirring the soul.


Opening: Friday, November 29 until December 31, 2024.
Artist’s Reception: Friday, November 29, 2024, 5:00–7:00 pm.