Nicola De Maria (born 6 December 1954 in Foglianise, Italy) is an Italian painter living and working in Torino, Italy.^[1] De Maria is known for his abstract figurative works, which have been characterized as lyrical and colourful.^[2][3]

Biography

De Maria earned a master's degree in medicine^[4] but then in 1977 he executed his first wall painting in Milan. In the same year of 1977 DeMaria exhibited at the Paris Biennale.^[5]

He is most often associated with the art group termed the Transavanguardia, a movement named and first exhibited by the Italian art critic and curator Achille Bonito Oliva at the "Aperto 80" section of the 39th Venice Biennale in 1980.^[6] Along with De Maria the principal transavantgarde artists were; Sandro Chia, Francesco Clemente, Enzo Cucchi, Nino Longobardi, Luigi Ontani, and Mimmo Paladino.^[7]

Exhibitions

In 1982 De Maria's work was included in documenta 7 in Kassel, Germany.^[8]

In 1990 De Maria once again exhibited at the Venice Biennale to which he contributed five "Space Paintings".^[9] His work was shown in the Italian Pavilion in an exhibition curated by Laura Cherubini, Flaminio Gualdoni and Lea Vergine.^[10]

In 2013 there was a retrospective of his work held at the Turin Civic Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, "The Madness to Come" curated by Danilo Eccher.^[11]

Collections

• Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam^[12]
• Pompidou Centre, Paris^[13]
• Castello di Rivoli in Turin, Italy^[14]
• Palazzi dell'Arte, Rimini, Italy^[15]

References