Valerio Adami

Valerio Adami was born in Bologna on March 17, 1935. After moving to Milan in 1944, he studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera, where he developed a close friendship with Bepi Romagnoni and studied under Achille Funi. His early years were marked by significant travel, including his first visit to Paris in 1952, where he befriended artists like Wilfredo Lam and Roberto Sebastian Matta. Adami’s career took off in the 1950s and 1960s, with early successes such as winning the Marzotto Prize in 1955 and the San Fedele Prize in 1958. His time in London exposed him to the avant-garde, influencing his later work. Throughout the 1960s, he traveled widely, exhibiting internationally in places like Japan, the U.S., and Cuba, which had a profound impact on his art. In 1966, Adami began creating “literary portraits,” with Nietzsche as one of his first subjects. His work was showcased in major exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale in 1968. In 1971, he moved to New York, where he became involved in a rich intellectual and artistic circle. During the 1980s, his art gained further recognition, with retrospectives at institutions like the Centre Pompidou in Paris and commissions such as a portrait of Pierre Boulez. Adami’s later years were marked by continued travel, including significant trips to India and Mexico. In 1990, he held a major retrospective at the IVAM in Valencia, and in 1998, he created a monumental painting for Monte Paschi di Siena. He continued to receive accolades throughout his career, with retrospectives in Milan, Athens, and Lissone, and was celebrated for his unique combination of symbolic themes and a focus on the human figure.