Michael Gambino’s affinity with Japanese koi seems incongruent with his Queens upbringing.  However, it reflects a passion as deep and as clear as the water of his koi ponds.In youth, Mr. Gambino was inspired by family members and influenced by famous artists, and realized the visceral quality produced by bridging representation with abstraction.  This became the essence of his art. Michael Gambino works without revision to communicate an emotional immediacy. His larger-than-life oil paintings rely on the oppositional palette of oranges and blues for impact, while his capture of swirling, bubbling water enhances the motion of life and nature. Mr. Gambino’s enigmatic shadows and interactions between his delicate subjects transport viewers into a world of sensuality and intrigue.  His success at blending the representational and abstract creates beauty as well as metaphors.