A self-taught artist born in Paterson, New Jersey, Alfonse Pagano has been painting since the age of 14. He was an assistant to artist Len Lye in the 1970s before attending The School of Visual Arts and the New School in New York City. His work has been shown across the country at galleries and museums, such as the Laguna Gloria Art Museum in Austin, Texas, and is held in various collections, including the Carnegie Mellon Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In the early 1990s, Pagano took up photography and co-authored a photojournalism book, “Dreads,” in 1999. It was published by Artisan/Workman Press and has an introduction by the well-known writer Alice Walker. The development of the book took Pagano around the world taking people’s pictures and interviewing them about the personal significance of their dreadlocks. The book is in its eighth printing and has earned both national and international acclaim, with various exhibits, such as at the University of Maryland, and featured in news publications, including NPR.