Domenico D'Oora biography

Domenico D’Oora, born in London in 1953, currently lives in Castelveccana, on the shores of Lake Maggiore. From his youth, D’Oora showed a great passion for art, which led him to enroll in the Art High School and later, in 1976, to graduate in Painting at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera, under the guidance of Guido Ballo. Alongside his artistic studies, he attended Theoretical Philosophy classes at the University of Milan, taught by Enzo Paci and P. A. Rovatti, thus broadening his cultural and intellectual education.
During the 1970s, D’Oora approached the concept of "Deconstruction of verbal/visual language - The space of the mind", a series of works marking the beginning of his artistic journey. His first solo exhibition, titled "In Credible Painting", was held in 1987 in Turin and received a mention from Mirella Bandini in Tuttolibri. In the 1980s, he began an artistic research focused on the use of color and materials, exploring visual perception in an innovative way. Critics such as Elena Pontiggia and Vincenzo Accame wrote about his works during those years, helping to spread his name in the art world.
At the beginning of the 2000s, D’Oora’s works are characterized by an intense use of color, manifested in a real physical multidimensionality. These works offer a perception of color without limits, where the absolute and the phenomenal appear as intangible perceptions. In 1991, he participated in the exhibition "D’Oora Dangelo Staccioli" at the Spriano Gallery in Omegna, exhibiting alongside artists such as Calderara, Radice and Rho. His exploration of space and color was further deepened in 1993 at the solo exhibition "Of the object", curated by Alberto Veca at Verifica 8+1 in Venice.
During the 2000s, D’Oora adopted a minimal reduction and concentration in his works, characterized by monochrome surfaces made with numerous glazes and frames flared at 45 degrees, creating an effect of monolithic painting-sculpture. The exhibition "Painting at present" in 2003, at Cavenaghi Arte in Milan, presented these new works, followed by "Monochrome" in 2008, introduced by Angela Madesani. D’Oora collaborated with various galleries in Italy, Germany, and Switzerland, holding about 50 solo exhibitions. In 2008, he exhibited at the Lazertis Galerie in Zurich with the solo show "Absolute Farbe" and participated in several group exhibitions in Switzerland, including "Bonfanti, Castellani, Dorazio, D'Oora, Di Robilant, werke auf papier" and "Italian Art from 1965: Capogrossi, Dorazio D’Oora, Matino". In 2012, he held a second solo exhibition at the Lazertis Galerie. His works are also exhibited at Galerie Lidiya Yametti in Bachenbulach, at the Deutsches Kulturzentrum, and at DeltaZeroArt in Lugano. In Germany, the historic Galerie Appel in Frankfurt hosted his solo exhibition "Absolute Farbe" in 2009, presented by Martin Engler, curator of the Contemporary Art collection at the Städel Museum in Frankfurt. A second solo exhibition, "D’Oora Neue Bilder", was held in 2014 simultaneously with his solo show at the Galleria del Milione in Milan, presented by Giorgio Bonomi. Since 2012, D’Oora regularly participates in Art Karlsruhe and in 2012 exhibited at Arte Fiera di Bologna with a personal stand. In Italy, D’Oora has participated in numerous group exhibitions, including "Fifty years of Abstract Art in the collections of the Galleria d’Arte Moderna Contemporanea" in Gallarate in 1996, "Beyond Monochrome" at the Zappettini Foundation in Chiavari in 2004, and "Aniconic Painting 1968-2007" at the Casa del Mantegna in Mantua in 2008. He has also exhibited in public and private spaces, such as the Central House of Art in Moscow, Tbilisi, Baku, the Santo Ficara Gallery in Florence, and the Civic Gallery Ai Molini in Portogruaro. Numerous critics, including Bruno Bandini, Gabriela Blumer Kamp, Roberto Borghi and F. Ruth Brandes, have written about his works, helping to consolidate his reputation in the contemporary art world.
D’Oora also presents the work of other artists such as Alberto Burri, Dadamaino, Gino De Dominicis, Piero Dorazio, Paolo Gioli, Hans Hartung, Achille Perilli, Vittorio Matino, Sandro Martini, and Italo Valenti. Since 1998, D’Oora has led the Materiangelica Art Therapy Laboratory at the U.O. Psychiatry Verbano 1, and his works are part of numerous collections, both in Italy and abroad, including that of Giuseppina Panza di Biumo. His artistic career continues to evolve, offering the public works that invite deep reflection and sensitive perception.