NEW ROCHELLE, NY (April 20, 2026) — The New Rochelle Council on the Arts will present “The World of Ugo Mochi” at the NRCA Rotunda Gallery in City Hall, featuring works by the artist known as the “Poet of Shadows,” whose intricate cut-paper designs gained international recognition.
Mochi (1889–1977) created detailed paper silhouettes collected by the British royal family, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the American Museum of Natural History. His work also appeared in advertisements and in a series of books on animals.
The exhibition will include works on loan from Mochi’s family and is curated by Barbara Davis and Lynn Honeysett.
Mochi lived in New Rochelle from the 1930s until 1977, working in a studio in his home. The Mochi family moved from New York City and settled in New Rochelle, where he worked diligently from his home studio. An active member of the New Rochelle Art Association, Mochi co-sponsored events with Norman Rockwell and other local artists.
One of his final works, the 10-foot mural “The Landing of the Huguenots,” has been displayed in the City Hall entryway for approximately 50 years. According to a 1977 New York Times report, the work is a large-scale cut-paper composition depicting the arrival of Huguenot settlers in Mochi’s signature silhouette style.
The New York Times also reported that the acquisition and display of Mochi’s work in City Hall reflected a local effort to recognize his contributions, with community and arts advocates working to secure and exhibit the piece in a prominent public setting tied to the city’s history.
The mural was recently removed from its location for cleaning and is expected to be rehung in time for the exhibit’s opening on April 29. Organizers said the work may undergo professional conservation later this year.
This article was prepared with the assistance of AI tools under the direction and editing of Robert Cox.
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