Nasato, Luigi, 1924-2014

Luigi Nasato (20 Nov. 1924 – 18 Dec. 2014) was an Italian-Canadian mosaicist, painter and commercial illustrator. Nasato was born to Ettore Nasato and Caterina Girotto in Istrana, Italy, where he attended the Commerical School of Treviso. In 1941, he entered the State Institute of Art in Venice, Italy, specializing in painting and decorating. While at the Institute, Nasato earned a Master’s degree in Art and, in 1947, a teaching diploma in Pictorial Arts. In 1951, he emigrated to Argentina and worked for three years as a fine decorator in a ceramics factory. He subsequently co-founded the ceramic dinnerware company, Hanacoer, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, where he worked as a decorator for several years. In 1959, Nasato emigrated to Toronto. He was hired as a designer in mosaics at Conn Arts Studio, a position he left in 1965 for a similar position at De Montford Studio. He subsequently worked as a technical illustrator at Douglas Aircraft from 1971 to 1976 and as a designer for Classic Mouldings from 1976 to 1989. Nasato was granted Canadian citizenship in 1976. He retired in 1989 at the age of 65. Throughout his career, he created and collaborated on church mosaics throughout Toronto and environs. His work can be seen in: Our Lady of the Airways and St. Michael’s Ukranian churches in Mississauga; ; St. Eugene’s church in Hamilton; St. Michael’s Hospital chapel, Church of the Holy Name, Our Lady of Sorrows, St. John Bosco, St. Clare of Assisi, St. Peter’s, St. Edward’s, and St. Wilfrid’s churches in Toronto; among others. His Monumento ai Caduti, a public panel mosaic commemorating fallen soldiers, stands on display in his native Istrana. He was awarded multiple times for his artistic contribution by the Treviso nel Mondo and named a "Premio Eccellenze Venete nel Mundo" by the Regione del Veneto in 2014.

Nasato married Elena Fantin on July 24, 1954. They had two daughters, Silvia Eisner and Rosalba Stragier.

2015/08/21 C. Falls (Creation)