What does it take to make love as an art? Whether its loving someone or loving something or love doing something, what is the definition of love? The definition is love something and/or someone and being loved.

As a creator and a designer, Salvatore Principe, goes back to the days at Studio 54 where he mingled with the rich and famous including Andy Warhol, Mick Jagger, and Calvin Klein. At these nightclubs he was involved with the lighting design. That’s where his artistic career began on a path to led him to where he is today.

His start in the art world wasn’t a traditional one, but he found his way in the art world. Studio 54 was the birth of his creativity.

For a New York native, Principe, the key to love never left his sight. The signature of the heart has been a key painting that he has done most of his art career, but it was no accident.

Principe spoke of the struggles growing up in New York and what that taught him.

“I’m thankful for those struggles that life has taught me. You always must find something you love to do. Without structure, there’s no human development,” Principe spoke of what he went through when he progressed into art.

He grew up with a loving mother and a father who worked a lot. It took a lot for his father to support his journey as an artist.

“Hearts have been my signature for my entire career, a tribute to my mother and the love that she passed on to me,” Principe said of how it got started. “My mother was my best friend, and she very supportive of what I did.”

Principe’s mother was his biggest cheerleader. The heart was the sign of love; it’s where the development of the signature started. He lost his mother to cancer at the age of 50.

The city of New York was everything that reminded Principe of his mother. Today, she would have been proud of his son as an artist.

“I did do painting back in New York. I used the buses and trains to showcase my art. It allowed to me to connect with people,” Principe said of his experience that helped him to sell his art to people like he does today at art shows in his adopted town at Boca Raton, FL.

When people on the bus took notice of his artwork, they took interest. Principe would talk to the public that allowed him to tell the story of his painting.

Principe came to Florida to visit his aunt. This is where he pushed his heart signature beyond the limits.

“I started living in a warehouse where I was painting. I was there day and night, it was how I was able to start my own gallery,” Principe said of his experience expanding his art career in South Florida.

He would later than open his first gallery in Del Ray Beach where there were only two restaurants around the corner. His gallery was called the “Heart of Del Ray.”

“I watched that place go from the ground up. There was nothing in Del Ray Beach, it was only the gallery and two restaurants.”

Principe’s signature of hearts has been as a freeing symbol. It has been an inspiration from his late mother of what he’s been known for in his artistic career.

“The heart is the most powerful element. Love, caring, power, it’s what makes the power of the heart,” Principe said about his signature. “You got to have love wherever you go. People must have to forgive themselves to build love.”

The next gallery he opened was at a warehouse, where its theme was a reminder of home, a Tribeca feel of what life was like while growing up in New York.

When it came his signature of the hearts, it’s where it helped him passionately. It became his number one subject in art that earned him respect in the art community in South Florida.

Salvatore’s painting of hearts has been more than just the defining moments of his art career, it’s who he is as a person and as an artist. His heart paintings have been purchased by art collectors around the world.

“You have to love the profession that you pick,” Principe said about making a living. “This is coming from speaking out of the heart. You can’t let negativity stop you.”

When COVID-19 hit, it didn’t stop Salvatore. People would come by his house to purchase art. He would connect with people one day at a time.

What’s next for Principe? Building heart sculptures. His desire is to have heart sculptures at commercial spaces where everyone is reminded of the meaning of love.

“I’ve made sculptures even when I was in New York, but I want to keep the hearts going. Creating sculptures has been my calling and making hearts 3-dimentionally,” Principe said about keeping his signature of hearts going.

His message having hearts at all commercial spaces: reminding everyone about love before coming in and after leaving work.

Today, he is currently running a gallery at the Town Center Mall called The Gallery Lounge in Boca Raton, FL. His journey from lighting design at Studio 54 to showing art on public transportation to opening a gallery led him to the success of his art career in his way that he found it.

Trading the cold winters in New York to the heated weather in South Florida elevated his inspiration to the next level. The meaning of hearts never stops for Salvatore Principe.

RELATED URL: https://thekingofhearts.com

Garth Thomas