Contemporary Artist Francesco Cuomo

"Simply for love" is the motto behind Francesco Cuomo's artistic production. Since 1996 the artist has been growing through experiences, researches and cooperations that led him to "live with art creating art to be lived".

Artistically Francesco Cuomo arises as ironic poet and Contemporary painter. During his evolution, even though he didn't totally give up his verses (he likes to add a poetical caption to some of his works) he sharpened his expressive ability through the use of art. His works are about his life: people, facts, anecdotes, street life. The cromatic vivacity comes from his Mediterranean routes: land of colours and brightness. His paintings, made with strong and resolved colours, caught the attention of important families of collectors like Coveri, Colombo (Colmar), Del Vecchio (Luxottica) who bought his works.

The Contemporary artist Francesco Cuomo has been a guest at loads of art and design exhibitions both in Italy and abroad. He realised multicolour cloths fo Coveri (like a t-shirt of the 2007 spring-summer collection with his painting "Narciso" on it) and for Colmar Originals (the colourful capsules in 2010) and luxury furniture items for Formitalia Luxury Group and MMirabili "Arte d'Abitare"; he also created "Sagome 547" for Unicef and for the international conference "Let's set children free from war" organised by the foreign minister; he's one of the eight artists coming from all around the world, chosen by Luxottica, who exhibited his work "Life is childish" at ArtBasel 2010 during the international project "A work of Persol" ; he has been realising the image of the MedFilmFestival since 2009, when he was rewarded as rising artist in the european year of creativity and innovation.

The colourful owls ("cuccuvaie") on ceramic vases are the last sculptures of the "CuccuvArt" collection that the contemporary artist Francesco Cuomo has presented at the Blender Gallery in Athens last December.

Francesco Cuomo has over twenty years of cooperation experience behind him. During these years, with a perfect "Made in Italy" style, he has creatively upholstered items: chairs, foulards, lamps, bags, clothes... Francesco Cuomo is now back to Eboli to start a new project called "Crea by Francesco Cuomo" defined by his motto "live with art creating art to be lived", financed by the State through Invitalia.

In his showroom in Corso Garibaldi, art and profession get mixed with each other in order to create artistic craft works. Through the research of the beauty quality and originality, Francesco Cuomo put art into things that we use daily, counting on new technologies and e-commerce to spread and sell his works.

The contemporary artist Francesco Cuomo belongs to that movement that last century was called "Arts and Crafts". The artists belonging to this movement were against the low quality of the industrial productions. Nowadays they're against the homogenisation and they create works to defend diversity, identity and tradition: works to be collected because "the details are curated almost in a obsessive way, they're unique and original pieces and most of all they're made in Italy" .

BIOGRAPHY

The contemporary Artist Francesco Cuomo was born in Eboli in 1973. He got his bachelor's degree in 1998 and he has lived in Siena and the province of Siena for 18 years. Since 1993 he has been writing and painting simply for love. Francesco thinks that love is " like a eyes'open towards the heart, but together they were made to make me suffer. But whoever had this tought, didn't understand that it makes me live. And while the heart shakes, I wonder: it's not possible you beat just to let me know I'm not dead." He has always wanted to transmit emotions to people and that's why he started painting: he creates and writes to represent what he has lived and what he lives- people, facts, anecdotes, street life- through colours; he paints to represent his emotions. For Fancesco colour means happiness, joy, being positive, for him colour is the future. His creativity started with paintings and poetries, but at some point he wanted people to be able to touch his works in order to enjoy them fully. So he created a new concept of art that he thinks is son of the modern generation: art that has to be phisically lived and touched. So along with his paintings, he started creating chairs, armchairs, dormeuses, chaiselongues, vases, lamps, bags and foulards: the fact that people can not only look at his works but also touch them makes him very happy. He thinks that when someone touch one of his works, it's like they're touching his soul and emotions. It's a unique feeling. Francesco Cuomo collaborated with Enrico Coveri for the realisation of the 2007 spring-summer man collection, inspired to one of his works: "Narciso". Some of his works have been chosen for the scenic design of a movie produced by the Italian International Film: "Questa notte è ancora nostra".
Over 10 of his works have been chosen for the Mediaset Tv series "Amiche Mie". At the moment he collaborates with the firm that produces some of his works Formitalia Luxury Group "Mirabili". He created a vases line called "VASAME" (kiss me) for the Inchendorf Milano, inspired by his paintings and poetries. He realised a exclusive armchair for the Miami Swing brand, which is found in RAI tv programmes. He created the image of the MEDFILMFESTIVAL in 2009,2010,2011,2012 and 2013. In 2009 he was rewarded as rising talent in the year of creativity and innovation. He realised the Art Edition project with the Colmar brand creating the Colmar Originals line, a artistic collection of feminine winter coats, presented at Pitti and Berlin. He realised the image of the brand "Pianeta Bufala" (and the brand itself); he produced the Pianeta Bufala video collaborating with Ferruccio Spinetti. Some of his works have been showed next to works of Mirò, Fontana and Afro. He created a work for a charity show, sagome 547 Unicef. He was chosen by Luxotica Spa for the project "A work of Persol" as the representant of Italy in the world. He showed in the most important Italian and foreign shows: Verona, Genova, Bergamo, Bolzano, Padova, Forlì, Shiangai, Basilea. He made a beetle for the Bimbingamba charity association for Niccolò Campo, represented by Alex Zanardi. The beetle is a unique work presented at the 25th anniversary of the Venice Marathon, used as symbol of positivity. His armchairs are found in one of the most important Italian auction houses, Finarte, and it's possible to find them in one of his catalogues of 2007 and 2009 in occasion of the Interior designer show. He was published on the Persol book, Work in Process, Coraini editor, with Achille Bonito Oliva's preface. In 2012 Mirabili Arte d'abitare produced a catalogue dedicated to Francesco Cuomo entitled Folli Colorate Ironie. In 2013 Gaetano Salerno wrote a review about him on Art Style, describing him as the one who contaminates the world with colour and passion. In 2014 he was rewarded by the economical development minister with a permanent show room in Eboli, for his start up firm project "CREA" that produces art to be lived. In 2015 he was at the Expo 2015 in the Italian pavillion with his work "The ants", which was used for the advertising campaign of Caffè Gioia. Ansa, Vanity Fair, Flair, Milano Finanza , Grazia, il sole 24 ore, Art-Style, Panorama, New york Artist Magazzine, Repubblica, Corriere della Sera, Exibart, La Nazione, Il Mattino, Cronache del mezzogiorno, Corriere di Firenze, Il Roma, Donna Moderna, Il Tempo, Corriere della Sera, Ansa, Artprice, Arsvalue.com, art49.com, Arte.go.it. , Dezona.com, Domus, Ottagono, adns Kronos, Criticart wrote about him. He exhibited in Rome in via Margutta, Roma Foreign Minister,Milan,Imola,Genova,Firenze,Modena,Atene,S Verona,Padova, Bergamo, Limone sul Garda,Shiangai,Stoccolma, Basilea, Atene,Montecarlo,Vietri sul mare and in his city: Eboli.

CONTEMPORARY ART SHOWS :

2002 Collettiva. Ice Bar - Stockolm Collettiva. Cabiria. Caffè - Florence 2003 Colletiva. Pop Caffè - Florence Collettiva. Villa Strozzi la Limonaia - Florence 2004 Collettiva. Coveri Palace Gallery- Florence 2005 Collettiva Otranto Nanatu ( Lecce ) Collettiva Padiglione Italia Biennale of Venezia Collettiva Artour Hotel Michelangelo - Firenze Collettiva Le streghe - Porto S. Stefano. Grosseto Personale 'Galleria del Palazzo Coveri ' Personal Florence ' World's Artists ' Rome Via Margutta. Collettiva Galleria ModenArte -Modena. 2006 Collettiva World's Artists - Imola - Ferrari show and Gilles Villeneuve. Collettiva World's Artists - Montecarlo France - Ferrari show and Gilles Villeneuve Collettive Coveri Palace Gallery, Florence and Pietrasanta. Milano Moda, Enrico Coveri 2007 spring-summer collection patterns realised with one of his paintings: 'Narciso', a poem was written and read by the artist during the presentation. National archaelogical museum of Eboli. Collettiva Galleria Missart. ArtFiera Verona Collettiva Galleria Missart.ArtFieraPadova Collettiva Galleria World's Artist a Montecarlo. Rome and Art Fair Shiangai. Cina Collettiva Galleria World's Artist and Artemisia Montecarlo. Monaco. 2007 Mirabili Florence ( presentation Mirabili catalogue, international salon of Designer Milan) Foreign minister ( Sagome 547 ) ROME Collettiva Galleria Missart ArtFiera. Genova Collettiva Galleria Missart. Limone Sul Garda. Galleria World's Artist. In occasion of the grand prix foruma 1, 2007. Collettiva B&B Gallery. Poggibonsi Collettiva Enrico Coveri palace gallery.Florence. Collettiva Missart Gallery, Art Verona 2007 Collettiva MIRABILI, Art Padova 2007 Asta Finarte Milano, decorative arts and paintings, Milan December 2007. 2008 Collettiva Missart Gallery, Art Fiera di Bergamo set of the movie "Questa Notte è ancora Nostra" International Salon of Designer, event Fuori Salone in the Atelier Nadia Giani. Collettiva Mirabili ,Formitalia, Firenze. Collettiva Biale Cerruti Gallery, Siena. Collettiva Mirabili, Formitalia, la Versiliana, Marina di Pietrasanta (Lu ) Arte fiera di forli', Mirabili. Mirabili , collettiva, presentation armchair realised for the miami swing and Renzo Arbore. 2009 Collettiva, Quadrum Saca , 'The Walls of desire', Bologna Salone del mobile 2009 ' 100 x 100 designer ' evento fuorisalone. Maison&Ojets, Paris. MedFilm Festival 2009, Palazzo delle esposizioni , Rome Galleria Gemluc, Montecarlo. Show Room, Carlo Astone regali, presentation bags. Eboli 2010 Presentation painting dedicated to the Eboli Princess , Pastrana ( Spagna ) Battipaglia , Dolce vita d'artista ( personal exhibition ) ( salerno ) Galleria Bocconi, presentation a work of pesrol 2010 ( Milano ) A work of Persol, art Basel 2010, galleria MarcdePuechrdon, ( Svizzera ) Gemluc Art, Collettiva (Principato di Monaco ) Biale Cerruti art Gallery ( mostra personale ) ( Siena ) 2011 Biale Cerruti art Gallery ( collettiva ) ( Siena ) Gemluc Art, collettiva ( Principato di Monaco ) Artemisia art gallery, collettiva ( Principato di Monaco ) MedFilm Festival 2011, rappresentazione ( Roma ) 2012 Pitti Immagine Uomo, presentation Colmar Originals collection ( Florence ) Berlino, Fashion week , presentation Colmar Originals collection ( Berlin ) Bouesoleil, personal exhibition ( France ) Presentation Catalgue ' le folli colorate ironie ' Salone del Mobile 2012, Formitalia Luxury Group Galleria Il cesello, ( collettiva ), Castiglioncello ( Livorno ) MOA, Museum Operetion Avalance, Sala Contemporanea MOArt ( Eboli ) ( Collettiva ) Senzalimitearte Gallery( Colle val d'elsa ) ( Si )( collettiva ) 2013 Senzalimitearte Gallery ( Colle val d'Elsa ) ( Si )( collettiva ) Carrè Dorè , Russian & international Contemporary Art ( Montecarlo ) ( Collettiva ) Le bandiere dei due Mondi ( Venice, for the 55th 'Biennale di Venezia' ) ( collettiva ) 2014 Galleria Mirabili ' '2014 ' Zona Tortona ' ( collettiva ) ( Mi ) The Blender Gallery ' Things art and every day life ' ( Colletiva ) Athens (Greece) 2015 Eboli, inauguration Show Room Francesco Cuomo ' live with art creating art to be lived ' Milano EXPO 2015, presentation project ' the ants ' Art Fair Parma, In collabortion with Mirabili.

By Angela Majoli –ANSA-

Actuality as the idea, together with the boldly coloured image that becomes the metaphor of artistic intuition, a poetic and fairy-tale personification of the imagination, at times a mocking and scoffing parody of the popular beliefs and paradoxes of today’s life: these are the essential characteristics of the works by Francesco Cuomo, born in 1973 in Campania and now living in Tuscany, who for the past 15 years has been liberating his emotions and passions through bright oils and acrylics. And so Maradona and Ferrari climb up onto the roof of the world, superstition is condensed into a tiny tiny man hanging onto a gigantic red ‘horn’, the end of ideologies is enclosed in a broken flag, a metropolis is transformed into a fantastic labyrinth, a monkey symbolizes human evolution and merges the different races inside himself, amidst a thousand undertones, advancing, almost dancing, towards a world of respect and love. In ‘Aizateve’, or ‘Get Up’ in Neapolitan dialect, the painting selected in 2011 as the placard of the MedFilm Festival, two hands, one white and one black, lift the Earth together, while only one supports a small human figure, who stands up from a golden chair and moves towards life: during this Year of Volunteering, Cuomo launches an invitation towards participation, global support, the desire to work together with no distinction between ‘whites’ and ‘blacks’. What dominates is not the artist’s technical gesture, but his passion, spontaneity, and almost childish enthusiasm. Not by chance, one of his most appreciated works is ‘Life is Childish’ (La Vita è Bambina). Two children move along, immersed in the infinity of the universe, representing two different interpretations of the idea of freedom: one lives it in a more artificial and calculated way (the prisoner’s uniform, the wheel held up by a bird with no legs), the other in a more natural way (the floating balloons) and therefore holds the Earth in his hands. In the background, the imposing and positive outline of an elephant stands out, the symbol of the tradition that is fused with originality, but never renounced. Cuomo’s creativity is also ‘unlimited’ and ready to ‘invade’, with his expressive power, armchairs, lamps, vases, chaise lounges, purses, scarves, shiny tote bags, mini all-purpose objects that can be charms, buckles, pins. Art to touch, wear, live in daily life (“It’s as if people touched my soul, my emotions”, the artist explains), created in collaboration with numerous companies, from Coveri to Luxottica, from Colmar to Ichendorf. And always rigorously dedicated to Made in Italy, in the name of that excellence that can and must make Italy re-emerge from the current global crisis.