Cordell Cordaro is a multidisciplinary artist, filmmaker, and publisher based in Rochester, NY. Known for his swanky, expressive portraits and whimsical scenes, Cordaro’s work defies classical ideals of beauty in favor of something more emotionally true and human. His figures—both elegant and idiosyncratic—inhabit a world of their own, where charm and distortion exist side by side to reveal the inner longings and quiet defiance behind the outward pose.

His artwork spans painting, ink, and mixed media, and has found collectors across the U.S. and internationally in the UK, Singapore, Greece, Spain, and Canada. From solo booths in New York and Florida to packed shows in his hometown, Cordaro’s style is instantly recognizable: stylized, layered, mythic, and cinematic—sometimes like a frame out of Casablanca, sometimes like a fairy tale on the edge of unraveling.

Cordaro is also the founder and creative force behind Art House Press, a publication that began as an online arts journal in Rochester before becoming a five-issue print magazine. By Issue III in 2017, the magazine had achieved national distribution through TNG, reaching over 650 Barnes & Noble stores and additional retailers across the country. With essays, features, and curated visuals, Art House Press carved out space for new voices in the arts, always with Cordaro’s commitment to creative independence at its core.

In 2024, Cordaro directed and co-produced Ringside Stories: The Heart and Hustle of Pro Wrestling, a documentary exploring the lives of local wrestlers in Rochester, NY. The film aired on WXXI and won a Telly Award for its raw, heartfelt look into a passionate subculture. Whether through brushstroke or camera lens, Cordaro seeks the story beneath the surface.

He has also collaborated with the Rochester City Ballet on set and costume design, video work, and visual storytelling. This cross-medium approach to creativity—visual art, film, performance, and publishing—reflects a restless, driving energy behind all of his projects.

Cordell Cordaro continues to challenge aesthetic conventions while building community through art. He approaches art as a way of working through ideas that don’t always translate into words.