Mario Ceroli

MARIO CEROLI (1938)

Mario Ceroli was born in 1938 at Castelfrentano, he is considered one of the most influential artist of the Italian post-war period.

Ceroli studied and graduated at the the Art Institute of Rome under the guidance of Leoncillo Leonardi and Ettore Colla, of which he became assistant.

From the beginning of his career he concentrated on ceramics and sculpture using first poor materials such as raw wood, paper and glass but only later he focused completely on the repetition of overlapping shapes.

These materials was used to create silhouetted shapes in the furniture and objects that related simplistically to the surrounding space. Ceroli relates back to the traditional medieval craftsmen, focusing on an overall and overwhelming attraction that holds a dialogue with the spectator.

Between 1967 he took part in the exhibitions organized around the Arte Povera group, of which he in a sense was also a precursor: the typical materials of this movement such as burnt wood, the glass, lead etc.. had already been used years earlier by the artist, although sometimes used to express images also related to pop themes, who at that time had a well-established group of interpreters in Rome. The artist currently lives and works near Rome and his works are kept in major Italian museums

Characteristically Ceroli’s designs are dramatic and sculptural, with exaggerated forms and bold lines and often paying tribute to historical artworks. One of Ceroli’s major works was his 'Mobili nella Valle' series, inspired directly by De Chirico's 1927 painting of the same name.