RICCARDO LICATA ARTWORKS

Riccardo Licata was a renowned Italian painter and mosaicist. Born in Turin in 1929, Riccardo Licata spent part of his youth in Paris and subsequently moved to Rome in 1935, where he lived until 1945. In 1946, after the end of the Second World War, he moved with his mother to Venice, a which would become fundamental in his life and artistic career. From his first years in Venice, Riccardo Licata demonstrated great artistic talent.
In 1947, encouraged by Giuseppe Mazzariol, one of the most important Venetian art critics of the time, he enrolled at the Liceo Artistico in Venice, where he studied under the guidance of Luciano Gasperi and Mario De Luigi. During this period, he had the opportunity to come into contact with the architect Antonio Salvatori, who introduced him to the artistic culture of the Bauhaus, and with the painter Romualdo Scarpa, who initiated him into the art of mosaic, a discipline that would have had a decisive influence on his future artistic production.
In the following years, Riccardo Licata immersed himself in the Venetian art scene, actively participating in the debate on the renewal of Italian art in the post-war period. He visits the Venice Biennale of 1948, where he has the opportunity to admire Peggy Guggenheim's collection and to meet the artists of the Fronte Nuovo delle Arti, such as Santomaso, Birolli, Pizzinato, Vedova, Guttuso, Turcato and Viani, who were revolutionizing Italian art.
In 1950, he enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice, where he followed painting courses held by Bruno Saetti. He began to exhibit his works and participated in the 1952 Venice Biennale with a large mosaic. The following year, he exhibited at the Milan Triennale, confirming his talent and his growing notoriety. His artistic career developed between Venice and Paris.
In 1956, Riccardo Licata moved to Paris as assistant to Gino Severini at the mosaic chair. In this city, he came into contact with internationally renowned artists and art critics, such as Matta, Brauner, Huntertwasser, Lebel, Jouffroy, Tancredi and Mondino . His work undergoes a notable evolution, and Riccardo Licata begins to develop his artistic language characterized by an alphabet of symbols and graphic traits, which he defines as imaginary letters drawing inspiration from musical language.
In addition to painting and mosaic, Riccardo Licata also dedicates himself to graphics, creating engravings of great artistic value. During his career, he participates in numerous personal and collective exhibitions in important Italian and international cities, such as Paris, London, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Stockholm and New York. His works are present in prestigious collections and museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in Venice, Milan, Rome, Vienna and New York.
Riccardo Licata does not limit himself to artistic production, but dedicates also to theatrical scenography and ballet, creating the sets and costumes for works such as "Medea" by Euripides and the ballet "Ichspaltung" by Giuseppe Marotta.
Riccardo Licata is considered one of the most important Italian artists of the twentieth century. His artistic research has gone through various phases and has been able to combine abstraction with a profound search for spatial and sign-marked rhythms. His graphic-pictorial writing, inspired by music, has given a unique identity to his works, which stand out for the skilful use of symbols and graphic features. His death in 2014 represents a significant loss for the Italian and international artistic scene, but his artistic legacy will continue to influence and inspire future generations.