Giuseppe Gambino
Italian, 1928-1997
Giuseppe Gambino was born in Vizzini, Sicily, and raised in a family attuned to culture and civic life. His childhood unfolded across several Italian cities—Rome, Verona, Mantua, and Modena—exposing him early to the richness of Italy’s regional artistic traditions. After enduring a long illness following World War II, Gambino began exhibiting in the early 1950s, ultimately settling in Venice in 1954.
Rejecting the prevailing avant-garde movements of his time, Gambino developed a personal style rooted in figuration. His paintings, often of Venetian scenes, Córdoba landscapes, and theatrical interiors, are notable for their textured surfaces, bold chromatic fields, and structural echoes of the Baroque. He also created smaller character studies and scenes rich in gesture and narrative.
In 1963, Gambino relocated to Preganziol near Treviso, transforming a 16th-century barn into his studio. He later spent winters in Córdoba, Spain, and exhibited widely with growing international acclaim. His contributions to scenography, including a 1976 opera production, added a new dimension to his work. After his death in 1997, his legacy was honored through a national painting prize and the naming of a town square in Preganziol. Gambino’s work continues to resonate with collectors for its technique, atmosphere, and personal vision.