Emilio Scanavino

Emilio Scanavino began his artistic training at the Nicolò Barabino Art School in 1938 and held his first exhibition in Genoa in 1942. After briefly studying architecture in Milan, he traveled to Paris in 1947, where he encountered the avant-garde literary and artistic circles. These experiences, along with connections to artists like Wols and Camille Bryen, shaped his turn toward abstraction. By the early 1950s, Scanavino was exhibiting regularly in Venice and London and had established his studio in Milan.

Scanavino’s work evolved from figuration to a deeply personal abstract style marked by recurring symbols, especially the knotted or tangled line motif that became his visual signature. His paintings feature layers of gesture, linear patterns, and muted tones, often punctuated by expressive red markings. These compositions convey a sense of psychological depth and existential reflection. Though his work is linked to the Italian Arte Informale movement, it also shows parallels to abstract expressionism and lyrical abstraction in postwar Europe.

Scanavino represented Italy multiple times at the Venice Biennale. Major retrospectives were held at Kunsthalle Darmstadt in 1973, followed by Palazzo Grassi in Venice and Palazzo Reale in Milan in 1974. His work has been shown internationally in cities such as London, Paris, Hamburg, Copenhagen, and Philadelphia, and is held in the collections of major museums including the Centre Pompidou (Paris), SFMOMA (San Francisco), MART (Rovereto), Museo del Novecento (Milan), GAMeC (Bergamo), and Museo Tamayo (Mexico City).