Emilio Vedova

Emilio Vedova was born into a working-class family. Largely self-taught, he began painting while working as a laborer and restorer. Vedova helped establish the Fronte Nuovo delle Arti, an influential collective in postwar Italian art. Vedova’s early participation in the Venice Biennale in 1948 marked the beginning of a long and significant presence in the international art scene.

Vedova’s work is associated with the Italian Arte Informale movement and features a dynamic, gestural abstraction. His early black-and-white compositions evolved into energetic canvases filled with violent brushwork, scratches, and splattered paint. He often addressed political and existential themes through non-figurative means. His Plurimi series (1961–1963) consisted of painted, shaped panels that could be installed in variable formations, creating immersive environments. Vedova’s later works further pushed the boundaries of movement, color, and form.

Vedova represented Italy multiple times at the Venice Biennale, earning the Grand Prize for Painting in 1960. He also participated in Documenta. Major retrospectives have been held at Kunsthalle Darmstadt, Palazzo Grassi (Venice), and Palazzo Reale (Milan). More recent exhibitions include Emilio Vedova: Historical Survey at Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac (Paris, 2018), Rivoluzione Vedova at the M9 Museum (2023), and shows at the Museo Novecento (Florence), Centre Pompidou-Metz, and Museum Küppersmühle (Duisburg). His legacy is preserved by the Fondazione Emilio e Annabianca Vedova in Venice.