Collection: Salvatore Emblema

Salvatore Emblema was born in 1929 in Terzigno, a small town on the slopes of Vesuvius, into a family steeped in local traditions and farming. From a young age, he demonstrated a strong interest in color, texture, and natural materials, inspired by his surroundings and the rich landscapes of Campania.

In 1947, he enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples, where he studied painting and sculpture, deepening his knowledge of traditional techniques and acquiring a solid academic background. During his time at the academy, Emblema came into contact with artists and intellectuals of the time, developing an original approach to material and color.

After graduating, he moved to Rome, where in the 1950s he came into contact with leading avant-garde galleries and artists of the Italian Informal movement. In 1954, he held his first solo exhibition at the Galleria San Marco, curated by Carlo Levi and Ugo Moretti, immediately attracting critical acclaim for his experimental use of materials and his ability to create textured surfaces charged with visual energy.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Emblema expanded his research into more complex works and environmental installations, using jute, raw fabrics, earths, and natural pigments to construct layered surfaces and three-dimensional structures. His art during this period explored the relationship between matter, light, and space, anticipating some of the experiences of Land Art and European Nouveau Réalisme.

His poetics are distinguished by a focus on the transience of materials and the ability of his works to interact with their surroundings. Surfaces treated with earth and pigments, often enriched with marks and incisions, create a sense of depth and movement, transforming each work into a unique sensory experience.

Emblema has exhibited since the 1960s in numerous solo and group shows in Italy and abroad, garnering international recognition. Institutions hosting his work include the Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte in Naples, the MADRE Museum, and the Haus Konstruktiv in Zurich, as well as private collections such as those of Gianni Agnelli and Dino De Laurentiis.

In the final decades of his career, Emblema consolidated his reputation as a material and conceptual artist, influencing generations of Italian and international artists interested in experimenting with materials and the relationship between artwork and space. He died in 2006, leaving behind a body of work that continues to be studied and admired for its expressive power and originality.