Basaldella Afro

**Afro Basaldella** (1912–1976), an Italian painter, began his career in the late 1920s, exhibiting with his brothers in the Friulian avant-garde movement. After studying architecture in Udine, he moved to Rome in 1930, where he became involved with the **Scuola Romana** and participated in major exhibitions, including the **Venice Biennale** and **Quadriennale**. In the 1950s, Afro’s career expanded internationally, particularly after moving to the **United States**, where he worked with the **Catherine Viviano Gallery** and was influenced by American art movements. He became known for his technical precision, elegance, and poetic style. In 1956, he won the award for best Italian painter at the **Venice Biennale**. Throughout the 1960s, Afro exhibited widely in Europe and the U.S., participating in **Documenta**, major retrospectives, and collaborating with renowned artists for projects like the **UNESCO headquarters** in Paris. After the death of his brother Mirko in 1969, his health declined, and he focused more on graphic works in his later years. Afro passed away in Zurich in 1976.