Sandro Chia

Sandro Chia, born Alessandro Coticchia in Florence on April 20, 1946, is an Italian painter and sculptor. After studying at the Florence Institute of Art and graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts in 1969, he embarked on extensive travels across Europe and Asia, which deeply influenced his artistic development. In 1970, he moved to Rome, where he held his first solo exhibition in 1971. Initially drawn to conceptual art, Chia shifted towards figurative painting in the late 1970s, becoming a leading figure in the Italian Transavanguardia movement founded by critic Achille Bonito Oliva—a movement marked by a return to painting, stylistic eclecticism, and expressive freedom.
During the 1980s, Sandro Chia exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 1980, 1984, and 1989, establishing his international reputation. In 1980, he participated in the “Aperto 80” section of the Biennale alongside other Transavanguardia artists such as Francesco Clemente, Mimmo Paladino, Nicola De Maria, and Enzo Cucchi. His works, often focused on the human figure, are notable for their vibrant colors, bold brushwork, and a dreamlike, surreal atmosphere that reinterprets elements from the artistic tradition in a highly personal way.
In addition to painting, Chia began creating sculptures in 1982, working in bronze and mosaic. He divides his time between Italy and the United States, and his works are held in major museums such as the Castello di Rivoli, the Guggenheim, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. In 2003, three of his pieces entered the permanent collection of the Italian Senate at Palazzo Madama, and in 2005, the Province of Rome acquired two of his monumental sculptures.