Achille Perilli biography

Achille Perilli was a prominent Italian artist in the field of Italian abstract art. Born in 1927 in Rome, he left a significant mark on contemporary painting. From a young age, he showed a passion for drawing and painting, attending the studio of the painter Aldo Bandinella together with his friend Piero Dorazio. During his high school years, Achille Perilli organized the first exhibition of Roman student-painters at the Giulio Cesare high school, together with Dorazio and Guerrini. In 1945, he enrolled in the Faculty of Letters and Art History at the University of Rome, where he attended the lectures of Lionello Venturi.
In 1946, Achille Perilli met Renato Guttuso and joined a group of artists including Accardi, Attardi, Consagra, Sanfilippo, and Turcato to found the Gruppo Forma 1. This group was the first abstract movement in post-war Italy and Europe. The manifesto of Gruppo Forma 1 advocates for an art of pure form, in clear opposition to the socialist realism that dominated at the time. Achille Perilli's artistic research is characterized by the use and combination of geometric shapes and bright colors.
In 1948, he participates in the Gruppo Arte Sociale exhibition at the Italian Socialist Party section in Rome. Subsequently, he spends time in Paris, where he studies the works of artists such as Cézanne, Picasso, Braque, Matisse, and Kupka. During his stay in Paris, he participates in the International Congress of Art Critics.
Achille Perilli does not limit himself to painting, but is also interested in avant-garde theater and literature. He opens the Libreria-galleria L'Age d'Or, which publishes the notebooks Forma 2 - Omaggio a Kandinskij and organizes important artistic events.
In 1951, he collaborates with the Art Club to set up the exhibition Abstract and Concrete Art in Italy, the first comprehensive showcase of Italian abstract art at the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna in Rome.
The works of Achille Perilli have been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions in galleries, museums, and public spaces around the world. He participates in various editions of the Venice Biennale and the Rome Quadriennale. In 1995, he is elected a member of the Accademia Nazionale di San Luca, and in 1997 he receives the Presidential Award of the Republic.
His artistic career is characterized by constant experimentation and search for the geometric irrational. His works, based on ambiguous geometric figures, create an imaginary, abstract, and unresolved space. His distinctive style, characterized by vivid colors and two-dimensional shapes, has fascinated audiences and art experts worldwide.
Achille Perilli was one of the protagonists of the renewal of European arts in the post-war period. His influence and his role as a great master are universally recognized. He continued to exhibit his works until the last years of his life, demonstrating a constant dedication to art and its evolution.
The passing of Achille Perilli in 2021 represented a significant loss for the world of contemporary art. His artistic legacy remains an important contribution to Italian abstractionism and to the history of art in general. His works continue to inspire and influence new generations of artists.