Paul Pennisi was born in 1930 in an old Sicilian family, in Acireale.

He studied architecture at the University of Rome.

In 1964 he moved to Thessaloniki, Greece where he devoted himself exclusively to painting. There he studied the centuries old byzantine iconography techniques of the Mount Athos monasteries nearby and wandered around the Greek islands.

In 1969 he moved to Milan where he had an active role in the artistic scene of the city. In this period, he titled his exhibitions after his time in Greece: ‘Mount Athos’, ‘The white houses of Mykonos’ and ‘Secular icons’ where he presented his first gold backgrounds and natural colour pigments created with earth, minerals and organic powders.

Paul Pennisi’s painting language is rooted in a landscape soaked in absolute magical silence of re-emerging emotions, memories and feelings experienced in his long stays on Mount Athos, custodians of the secrets of an ancient art, both natural and mystical.

In fact, Pennnisi, has transformed the rigor of his architectural education in geometrical compositions, structured landscapes and thoroughly meditated representations that recall the byzantine tradition.

He now spends his time between his family castle in Acireale and his studio in Rome. His works are in a number of private and public collections in Italy, Greece and internationally.