He has been called "The Renaissance Man" and was named "Humanitarian of the Year" by Palm Beach County Victim Rights Coalition and has been recognized not only for his achievements in his chosen field of plastic surgery, but also for his charity and humanitarian contributions by Governor Jeb Bush, Senator Bob Graham and the City of Boca Raton, which named June 21, 2001 "Dr. Man Day." Considered an artist in and out of the the operating room, his achievements in plastic surgery continue to generate local and national attention, as well as his reputation as an artist. He believes art is the essence of all things beautiful and that it only has to be brought to the surface. "There is beauty in all things", he says, and he surrounds himself with beauty and art. Every wall in his office and operating suites are filled with his sculptures and paintings which he says bring him and his patients closer and opens doors to communication. His paintings and lithographs are found in private collections throughout the US and have been used to raise miny for abused women and children. He has exhibited numerous galleries including the Cunningham Artists Gallery - Delray Beach, Boca Raton Museum of Art, Miss Brazil USA Beauty Pageant, and the Addison Gallery in Boca Raton. His art has also graced the covers of numerous magazines including: The Journal of Aesthetic Surgery, Boca News, Society Magazine, Longboat Key Magazine, and Gulfshore Magazine. His creative skill has also helped to inspire other doctors, sharing his insights and passion for art with plastic surgery residents at the University of Miami School of Medicine, Division of Plastic Surgery. His reputation as an artist is growing as evidenced by the fact that his painting "The Handshake", a tribute to President Clinton's efforts at peace in the Middle East, hung in the White House during the last three years of the president's administration. A student of art for more than a decade, he has studied under many of the leading artists and portrait painters in the U.S. and Europe including Daniel Greene and Luccasie of Italy. In 2002 he created two of his greatest achievements in the life-size sculptures "Tango" and "Miss Brazil" collaborating with his friend Rafi Chen. He believes plastic surgery is the true essence of art. e writes: "Through my art patients seem to understand more what can be achieved through plastic surgery. As a plastic surgeon I must be familiar with the sense of aesthetics and science - how they can be combined , and the limitations of each. Years of medical study and research have given me the knowledge of the underlying anatomy and the technical skills to create the face or body a patient desires." His love of art and plastic surgery is evidenced in his popular guidebook to plastic surgery entitled "The New Art of Man: Faces of Plastic Surgery" is a another testimony to his work as an artist. |