Together with the Japanese artists Shoichi Hasegawa and Yozo Hamaguchi, Mario Avati is one of the world's leading mezzotint (manière noire) etching artists who led the revival of mezzotint as a popular print medium. The depth of colour obtained, particularly the blacks, are unrivaled by other techniques and have a velvety quality. Avati was born in Monaco and works in Paris.The still-lives he creates from simple everyday objects have a life of their own. Avati's art is 'music for the eye'.