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By Hannah Blauner for Boston Compass (#125)
July 20, 2020
An artist to be remembered.
Ailton Correia, known by his close friends as “Nito”, was a multi-talented Cape Verdean-American artist from Amherst, MA. As an accomplished industrial designer, sculptural artist, Capoeira performer, and martial artist, Nito’s positive energy, hard work, and bright personality shined through all his creative pursuits.
At MassArt, Nito’s passion and drive were contagious. He was always in his studio later than everyone else, putting in hours upon hours to refine his craft. Coupled with this ambition was a willingness to offer advice and feedback to his fellow students. In this regard, Nito was more than just approachable; he sucked you in with his friendly energy and bright smile. Everyone was comfortable asking Nito for a critique on their work, and he was just as open to feedback about his own work. His passion for continuous improvement, friendship, and meaningful connection established Nito as a shining example of what it means to be an artist in the creative community.
Here, you can see a sculpture Nito made. The piece is constructed from wire and scraps he found at the market while he helped his mom sell fabrics. This particular sculpture is meant to raise awareness around gun violence and mass incarceration; problems that Nito felt needed to be openly discussed. Leveraging his creativity and artistic skills, Nito aimed to shed light on some of the many issues we are facing in America.
As an artist, and as a human being, Nito was on a beautiful path. His energy, hard work, and creativity should act as a reminder to all artists to use their skills as a voice to change the world.
—Hannah Blauner