Antonio Del Donno

Antonio Del Donno (Benevento, 1927–2020) first trained in technical drawing and later studied at the Art High School and the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples, where he also taught. Between the 1960s and 1970s he was a constant presence at Lucio Amelio’s gallery, attending major exhibitions and absorbing the influences of artists such as Rauschenberg, Tàpies, Vedova, Schifano, and Warhol — references that shaped his direct, anti-academic language.
From the early 1970s he combined gestural painting with objects and reclaimed materials, creating works such as the Vangeli, wooden panels inscribed with Gospel verses burned into the surface. Across series like the Light Containers and the Traps, he developed a symbolic vocabulary that critiques consumerism and the superficiality of contemporary culture.
A prolific artist who exhibited widely in Italy and abroad, Del Donno’s works now appear in public and private collections. He was honoured as a Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2019.