Alberto Burri

Alberto Burri was one of the most important Italian artists of the twentieth century, born in Città di Castello on March 12, 1915. He graduated in medicine in 1940 from the University of Perugia and began his artistic career in a unique way during his imprisonment in Texas during World War II, where, as a captured medical officer, he chose to dedicate himself to painting. Returning to Italy in 1946, he settled in Rome and developed an innovative artistic language characterized by the use of unconventional materials such as tar, burlap sacks, wood, and earth, anticipating movements like Arte Povera and New Realism. His informal art is distinguished by the emphasis on material as the primary expressive element, with works that reject traditional figurative and abstract painting. Burri exhibited in numerous Italian and international cities, including New York, Paris, and Milan, receiving significant recognition and profoundly influencing contemporary art. He died in Nice on February 13, 1995.