PIETRO GAROFALO
Pietro Garofalo was born in Floridia, province of Syracuse (Sicily) in 1951..
After gaining his diploma from the art school, Istituto Statale d'Arte di Siracusa, in 1967 he moves to Rome to complete his formation at the Academy of Art, Accademia di Belle Arti, under the guidance of masters Emilio Greco and Pericle Fazzini.
In 1969, he holds his first personal art exhibition at Centro Culturale Cine Foto Club of Floridia. In 1970, he takes part in a collective exhibition at Palazzo delle Esposizioni of Rome and h0lds his second personal art exhibition at Palazzo Comunale (Town Hall) of Floridia.
Between 1971 and 1977 he embarks on several art research trips across Italy, from Sicily to Rome and Milan.
In 1978 he moves to Bergamo, where his continues his artistic activity while also teaching. In 1996, the Municipality of Bergamo (Comune di Bergamo) confers him a silver medal for artistic merits.
Pietro Garofalo has taken part to many personal and collective exhibitions since 1980, both in Italy and abroad.
In 2009 he holds two personal exhibitions of drawings in London, UK. In 20012 is invited to held a personal exhibition of drawings in Budapest, Hungary, as part of the cultural event Portfolio Points.
In 2014 he is in Istanbul, Turkey, with a personal exhibition of graphics and sculptures at the art gallery, The Art Studio, where he also gives a lecture and a workshop on sculpting techniques and materials.
In 2011 he prepares all the illustrations for the book "Figli e padri" (sons and fathers) by painter and writer Pino Viscusi.
In September 2014, he is given a life achievement award to celebrate his artistic career as part of the inernational event "Slow 2014" by the cultural association Climiti e Dintorni, based in Floridia (Syracuse).
Pietro Garofalo's works are part of private and public collections, including the Pagani Museum of Castellanza and the Municipality of Budduso' (SS).
In 2006, with the patronage of the Municipality of Palazzago and the Province of Bergamo, he opens a permanente exhibition of his sculptures on the Valgrande hill (Palazzago), renamed "L'Acropoli di Pietro Garofalo"(The Acropolis of Pietro Garofalo) by poet Pasquale Emanuele. Since then, this has also become a space for cultural events and for artistis to meet.