Sandro Chia

Sandro Chia is an Italian painter and sculptor, known for his association with the Transavanguardia movement, a Neo-Expressionist style that emerged in Italy in the late 1970s and early 1980s. This movement, which included artists like Francesco Clemente, Enzo Cucchi, Nicola de Maria and Mimmo Paladino, sought to revive traditional painting techniques and reintroduce emotional expression and figuration into contemporary art, in contrast to the conceptual and minimal art that dominated the previous decades.

Born in 1946 in Florence, Chia studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti, where he was influenced by both Renaissance masters and the burgeoning modern art movements. Early in his career, Chia explored conceptual art, but by the mid-1970s, he shifted towards painting, embracing bold, expressive brushstroke, marking a return to figuration. His work often features symbolism and allegorical themes rendered in the visual language of Expressionism.

Chia became internationally recognised in the 1980s, as part of the Neo-Expressionist wave that brought figuration back into the spotlight. His paintings from this period are known for their dynamic, almost theatrical compositions, often featuring muscular, heroic figures in dreamlike or symbolic landscapes.

Chia’s sculptural work complements his paintings, sharing the same vitality and figurative boldness. His sculptures are often large-scale and imbued with the same energy and grandeur found in his paintings.

Throughout his career, Chia has exhibited widely. He took part in documenta 7 in Kassel in 1980 and held solo shows in major institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Tate Modern in London and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. His work has also been featured in several editions of the Venice Biennale.