Arnaldo Pomodoro, Milan, Italy 1926

The contemporary Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro is celebrated for his massive, architectonic bronze works in which fundamental geometric shapes like the column, cube, pyramid, sphere, and disc are ruptured and torn to create intensely textured surfaces suggestive of self-destruction, regeneration, and transformation. While working on the post–World War II restoration planning for public buildings in Pesaro, Pomodoro also undertook studies in stage design and learned goldsmithing at from local craftsmen. Following this eclectic period of formation, during which also he experimented with creating sculpture in relief, Pomodoro moved to Milan in 1954. There he became acquainted with the leading artists of his day, including Enrico Baj and Lucio Fontana, and in 1955 his sculpture was shown for the first time at the Galleria del Naviglio. Over the course of the next several decades, Pomodoro achieved international acclaim, perhaps best known for his large-scale outdoor works for prestigious locations, from the Cortile della Pigna in Vatican City to the United Nations Plaza in New York and Palais-Royal in Paris. The artist today lives and works in Milan.