Antonio Squicciarini was born on 4th July, 1957 in Bari. Aged just thirteen, he began his career with a personal exhibition for the “Sporting Club” which was held in the city’s “Margherita Theatre” and has since gone on to show his work in numerous exhibitions, both collective as well as personal.
Aged nineteen, he participated in a collective exhibition in Zurich called “The teachers of colour”, thus having his first international experience. Many other international exhibitions were to follow, from Frankfurt in 1978, Cannes in 1979, then again, Palma, Heeswijk, Amsterdam, Pittsburgh and New York, in addition to numerous group exhibitions throughout the Apulian region of Italy and in virtue of his participation in the Gap group.
As he went on to approach sculpture, he met Michael Gregory who would then become his maestro for three years. Then, he moved to Milan where he enrolled at the “Brera Academy” and attended lessons from major contemporary artists which included Ernesto Treccani, Bruno Cassinari and Domenico Purificato.
Together with other young artists, he became the founder of Milan’s painting current called “New Realism” and, always in the Lombard city, organised exhibitions in nightclubs and pubs- activities that earned him the fascinating title as “painter of the night”. In 1984, on the occasion of Domenico Cantatore’s exhibition at Bari’s Castello Svevo, he burnt more than fifty of his own works in protest against the indifference displayed by cultural organs towards young artists. In the same year, he had a lucky chance encounter with the production designer Danilo Donati, which led him to live his unique cinematic experience designing sets for the film “Ginger and Fred” by Federico Fellini.
In the same year, he participated in an international exhibition in Paris and in 1989, he held an exposition on the Greek island of Leros and another in Istanbul in 1998.
During his career he has received numerous awards including: in 1973, first prize at the exhibition of Italian artists at the Galerie du Dragon, and Gold Medal at the exhibition of portraits of peasant Atelieur du Paris; in 1974, the Angevin Plaque, sponsored by the City of Naples; in 1976, Medal for Culture Awarded by the Municipality of Milan; in 1977, the Foundation of artistic movement “G.A.P.” of young Apulian artists as well as the Porto Recanati Prize, Gallery artists; in 1979, Diploma and Medal “Artists in via Suppa” sponsored by Cassa Savings of Apulia in Bari; in 1982, Third prize “The colours of summer” in Portoferro on the Island of Elba; in 1985, he worked with production designer Danilo Donati for Federico Fellini at Cinecittà; in 1987, Art Award, presented by Pippo Baudo at the CANTAPUGLIA event in Bari; in 1994, he was appointed as Artistic Director
for Bari’s Union Gallery; in 1996, Career Achievement Award plaque at the Mediterranean Festival in Conversano, near Bari and Silver Plaque in Artistic Inspiration by the town of Modugno’s Cultural Department, near Bari; in 1997, he was appointed as Artistic Director in the Visual Arts Section of the Music Research Association in Rutigliano, near Bari; in 2000, he was appointed as Academic of Dioscuri at Palazzo Valentini in Rome as well as receiving a Career Achievement Award, Diploma from the Michelangelo International Academy at the Angevin Barons’ Barons Barons Vestibule in Naples, appointment as a honorary life member of the Artists Union of Cultural Workers, at the international institution of Art and Poetry in the City of Marigliano, near Naples and has also been appointed Knight of Art, at Villa Doria Pamphili in Rome.
Antonio Squicciarini lives and works in Bari.
