Ciro Palumbo

Ciro Palumbo was born in Zurich in 1965. His artistic career was originally influenced by the poetics of the Metaphysical school of Giorgio de Chirico and Alberto Savinio, reinventing however those foundations with a personal and completely original interpretation. In his research, he proceeded through moments of contemplation and metaphyisical silences, contrasted by nocturnal and intimately wrought expressivity, where one can feel the clean break from the silent immobility which resides in the works of the Pictor Optimus. His art represents therefore stages on which objects are carriers of oniric symbolism. Ciro Palumbo is not just a painter, but indeed a poet who reflects, reacts and composes to unite metaphor, the elusiveness of time, and the immenseness of space, showing thus his ability to give a close observation not so much of nature, but rather the imaginative impressions that come from memory. A curious researcher and scholar, he has in recent years been working on the theme of the Myth, interpreting classical mythology from an exquisitely modern viewpoint, giving it a deeply learned and impressive reading. The artist manages to sublimate and contextualize ancient legends outside of a time context, showing their contemporary nature.

He trained as a graphic designer in the advertising sector which led him to work for a number of years as Art Director in advertising agencies in Torino. It was during this experience that Palumbo discovered and developed his visual and compositional skills. Later, his experience in a modern art studio and meeting contemporary Masters led him to develop his velatura technique on oil painting. In recent years, the artist has also successfully dedicated himself to sculpture, giving three-dimensionality, through the use of terracotta, to the topos of his poetics.

The artist’s first exhibition was in 1994, e has had scores of solo exhibitions all over Italy. In 2011, he participated in the 54^th Biennale di Venezia, representing Piedmont. In recent years, several important venues have hosted his works, including the “Stadium of Domitian” in Rome with the exhibition “The strenght of gods and heroes”, Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence with the exhibition “Rinascenza”, “Palazzo della Cultura” in Catania with the exhibition “Isole migranti”, “Sala colonnato del Palazzo della Città di Bari” with the exhibition “Il volo del Poeta visionario”, “MAUTO Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile di Torino” and “Castello Carlo V” in Monopoli with the exhibition “Sguardi eterni tra la terra e il cielo”, “Museo Piaggio” in Pontedera (Pi) with the exhibition “Homo Viator”.

Among his international exhibitions, he work has been shown at the Artexpo in New York and Context Art in Miami, and he has had solo exhibitions in Providence (USA) and in Bellinzona (Switzerland). Some works by Palumbo are part of the collection of the “Fondazione Credito Bergamasco”, at the “Civica Galleria d’Arte Moderna G. Sciortino” in Monreale (Pa), at MACIST in Biella, at the “Palazzo della Cultura” and at MACS in Catania. Among the critics who have written about his artistic work are Angelo Crespi, Alberto Agazzani, Flaminio Gualdoni, Alessandra Redaelli, Aldo Nove, Ivan Quaroni, Luca Nannipieri, Roberto Capitanio, Angelo Mistrangelo, Tommaso Paloscia, Alessandra Frosini, Alberto D’Atanasio, Stefania Bison, Francesca Bogliolo, Paolo Levi and Vittorio Sgarbi. His works have been published in important catalogues and sector magazines, and some of his paintings are in institutional and private collections in Italy and abroad.

The artist currently resides and works in Torino.