Alberto Sughi biography

Alberto Sughi, born on October 5, 1928, in Cesena, was an Italian painter and one of the main exponents of the second half of the 20th century. Self-taught, he approached painting thanks to his uncle who taught him the first technical rudiments. He debuted as a painter in a group exhibition in Cesena in 1946. Two years later, he moved to Rome, where he met Renato Guttuso through the Cesena native Biagio Dradi Maraldi. However, in 1951 he returned to Cesena and settled in a place in the Rocca Malatestiana. Later, he moved to the country house in Carpineta on the Cesena hills.
Alberto Sughi is distinguished by his approach to realism, choosing to depict everyday life without heroes, in contrast to the socially engaged paintings typical of the post-war period. Enrico Crispolti, in 1956, defined his painting as "existential realism." His artistic exploration develops through thematic cycles, among which stand out the "Green Paintings" (1971-1973), dedicated to the relationship between man and nature, the cycle "The Dinner" (1975-1976), and "Imagination and Memory of the Family" in the early 1980s.
Alberto Sughi also explores graphics, creating a significant body of engravings, lithographs, and screen prints from 1946 to 2011. His graphic artwork, characterized by an intense tension towards the exercise of graphic techniques and the exploration of the sign, mutually enriches his painted artwork.
Alberto Sughi's career includes significant exhibitions such as two solo shows in Bologna and Turin in 1962, participations in the Venice Biennale and the Rome Quadriennale, of which he was also president in 1993. In 2005, the President of the Italian Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi awarded him the Vittorio De Sica Prize for Culture. His works have been exhibited in solo exhibitions in prestigious venues such as the Galleria d'Arte Moderna di Bologna, the Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome, the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest, and abroad in cities like Moscow, Prague, and São Paulo. He also participated in international exhibitions, including the "Contemporary Italian Paintings" exhibition in Australia in 1963 and the "Peintures italiennes d'aujourd'hui" in the Middle East and North Africa."
Alberto Sughi is also active in the cultural and political scene. He participates in the city's political life as a city councilor for the PCI in Cesena. He also meets important directors like Mario Monicelli and Ettore Scola. In 1980, he permanently moves to Rome.
In 1994, he took on the role of President of the Ente Quadriennale Nazionale d'Arte di Roma and participated in exhibitions such as "Il ritratto interiore" in Aosta. In 2007, two retrospective exhibitions were dedicated to him: one at the Biblioteca Malatestiana di Cesena, curated by Vittorio Sgarbi, and the other at the Complesso Vittoriano in Rome. In 2009, his work was exhibited in Palermo and then in London at the Italian Cultural Institute. He participated in the 54th Venice Biennale in 2011, presenting "Un Mondo di freddo e di ghiaccio".
Alberto Sughi passed away on March 31, 2012, in Bologna, at the age of 83, leaving behind an invaluable artistic legacy that continues to influence the world of contemporary art.