Francesco Stefanini

Obsessed with the elements with which he surrounds himself, Stefanini is influenced by the woods, by its colors and by the images that follow one another and overlap. His work speaks of the vital energy that nature releases and it becomes infused with light – an element intensely explored by the artist. His interest lies not so much in the true representation of reality but in the investigation of the limits within which the subject transfigures itself, yet maintaining its traceability. They are thoughtful and meditated landscapes.

In 1971 he moved to Treviso where he started teaching artistic subjects at state schools. It is here that he began to refine his thoughts and techniques towards an artistic autonomy. The first exhibition dates back to 1975 followed by further ones in Italy and abroad. In 1979 he received an award at the 64th edition of the Bevilacqua La Masa exhibition in Venice and the first prize during the 66th edition, including a scholarship from the Municipality and an invitation to his own solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Pesaro.

The essentiality of the forms and the incorporeal consistency of the material attracted the attention of the curator of the Shirakawa Museum of Modern Art, who in 1997 invited him to Japan to create a large painting. Exchanges with the East intensified in the 2000s and led the artist to exhibit in Tokyo, Osaka, Kioto and Yokayama.

Since the 1990s many of his trips have contributed to its training: Tokyo, Zagreb, Salzburg, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Mannheim, New York, Beijing, Brisbane, Sarajevo, Buenos Aires, Perth.

Stefanini’s interest also extended to theater and cinema, many of his works were used by Giuseppe Bertolucci for the interior designs in his films. In his artistic career he has also obtained recognition and exhibits in important galleries in Italy and abroad.