Dean Gioia (pronounced “Joya”) has devoted five decades to interpreting the southern landscape and turning it into fine art. Known as Florida’s living master of light and paint, this treasured local artist has devoted his career to capturing the light of North Florida on canvas. He is based in Tallahassee, Florida.
Artistic Vision
His focus on light and how it plays over the nooks and crannies of everyday life results in sumptuous paintings filled with an ethereal presence. The work finds its way into the human psyche, awakening memory, preserving moments and places seemingly frozen in time. Well-known for his ethereal landscapes and nocturnes, Gioia’s work captures the mystical quality of light as it transforms the everyday into the extraordinary.
In his own words: “I am here to absorb, reflect and emote. To move through seasons, time of day and dashes of light. I take notice. I vibrate with these things. I turn them back at you. Swabs of paint alive with experience. Being here is all. Record it. Share it.”
Education and Background
Gioia studied at Florida State University, graduating in 1972, and has been a professional artist for over five decades. His deep connection to Florida’s Big Bend region and the southeastern United States has been a constant source of inspiration throughout his career.
Recognition and Collections
Gioia is a Florida Fellowship recipient and recipient of an Individual Artist Fellowship from the state of Florida. His work is in over 1,000 public and private collections and can be found in galleries, museums, businesses, boardrooms, and private collections across the country. His work has been featured in film, as CD cover art, and in a variety of publications.
He has exhibited widely in the Southeast in a career that spans three decades, establishing himself as one of the region’s most respected landscape painters.
Publications
Gioia is also an accomplished author, having published two books showcasing his artistic journey:
- Turn of Light – His first hardcover collection
- Illuminated (2014)
Teaching and Community Involvement
He shares his knowledge by leading painting workshops and has been an active participant in the Tallahassee arts community. His studio has hosted events in partnership with organizations like the St. Francis Wildlife Association, and he has participated in gallery talks and exhibitions throughout the region.
Artistic Philosophy
Gioia began his art as a desire to “express what often feels inexpressible.” He describes the beauty and the visual thrill of “light falling on stuff,” which has evolved into his signature approach to landscape painting. His frequent use of egrets in his work serves as symbols of “freedom, flight, transcendence,” as he loves “painting anything white that is illuminated by sunlight.”
Dean Gioia continues to work from his Tallahassee studio, creating atmospheric paintings that celebrate the natural beauty of Florida’s Big Bend region while exploring deeper themes of memory, place, and the transformative power of light.