Valerio Adami

VALERIO ADAMI (Bologna, Italy, 1935).
"Olímpica" and "Pitica VIII".
Pair of oils on canvas.
Signed and titled on the back.
Measurements: 83 x 65 cm (each).

Both titles refer to the famous odes of Pindar, to which Valerio Adami pays tribute with his characteristic pop-cubist style: in one of the paintings, we see an "Olympic" corridor resolved with thick strokes and flat colors that combine different shades of green, blue and violet. The other canvas, on the other hand, is based on a line drawing on a white background and pays homage to the Greek mythical hero Aristomenes, known for leading the Messenians in the Second Messenian War against the Spartans. He is shown kneeling, with a helmet and bare torso, practically reduced to an effigy or statue. Adami's unique style, which combines elements of Cubism, Pop Art, comics and Futurism, merges here with evocations of ancient Greek poems.

Painter, designer and engraver, Valerio Adami trained at Achille Funi's studio and at the Brera Academy in Milan, and then settled in Paris in 1957. In 1962 he had his first important exhibition in London, and shortly afterwards he took part in Documenta III in Kassel. In the mid-sixties Adami reached his best known style, with pop influence: stylized images, outlined in black on areas of intense flat colors. His success is rapid, and in 1968 he represents Italy at the Venice Biennale. During these years he painted four large murals at the headquarters of the Firstar Bank in Madison (USA). His success does not diminish, and in 1985 anthological exhibitions are dedicated to him at the Georges Pompidou Center in Paris and at the Communo in Milan. In 1993 the Academy-Foundation Adami is created in Liechtenstein. He is currently represented at the MoMA in New York, the Palazzo Magnani in Reggio Emilia, the SMAK in Ghent, the Palazzo Ruspoli in Rome, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museo di Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Trento, among others.