Orazio Orazì (Italy, 1906–1979), Abstraction from Series “Peinture en Relief”

Orazio Orazì (Italy, 1906–1979), Abstraction from the Series “Peinture en Relief”, Paris, 1958–1968

Abstract relief composition.
Mixed media on canvas.
Image size: 38.2 x 51.2 in
Unsigned.

Orazio Orazì was born in Cannobio, Italy, in 1906. He studied history, philosophy, art history, painting, and artistic techniques. In 1932 he opened his own studio in Paris. He participated in the Venice Biennale in 1934 and 1936, as well as the Rome Quadriennale in 1935. During the 1950s, Orazì turned toward abstract art. Between 1958 and 1968 he created the series Peinture en Relief, incorporating materials such as sand, seeds, and tree bark into his compositions. These relief-like surfaces project from the canvas, creating striking plays of light and shadow and adding a sculptural dimension to abstract painting. Orazì died in 1979. As his artistic name, he chose “Orazi,” a name already known in ancient Rome and historically associated with figures in artistic and intellectual circles.