Achille Perilli biography

Achille Perilli was a Italian artist of great importance in the field of Italian abstractionism. 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 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 Forma 1 Group. This group was the first abstract movement in post-war Italy and Europe. The Forma 1 Group manifesto advocated 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 participated in the exhibition of the Social Art Group at the section of the Italian Socialist Party in Rome. Subsequently, he spent time in Paris, where he studied the works of artists such as Cézanne, Picasso, Braque, Matisse and Kupka. During his stay in Paris, he took part in the International Congress of Art Critics.
Achille Perilli was not limited to painting but was also interested in avant-garde theater and literature. He opened the Libreria-galleria L'Age d'Or, which published the notebooks Forma 2 - Homage to Kandinsky and organized important artistic events.
In 1951, he collaborated with the Art Club to organize the exhibition Abstract and Concrete Art in Italy, the first comprehensive survey of Italian abstractionism at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome.
Achille Perilli's works have been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions in galleries, museums, and public spaces around the world. He participated in several editions of the Venice Biennale and the Rome Quadriennale. In 1995, he was elected a member of the National Academy of San Luca, and in 1997 he received the President of the Republic Award.
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 disappearance 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.