Umberto Mariani was born in Milano 1936.

Umberto Mariani is a post-World War II multimedia artist reminiscent of the three dimensional spatialism of the Italian avant-garde. Recognized for his affinity to the folds of textiles, Mariani's work was inspired by the Classical Greek statues he grew up observing on the streets of Italy. Fascinated by the delicate folds of fabric carved out of white marble Mariani developed a desire to manipulate th e material. His first monumental narrative work in the 1960s was for the St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, and in the 1970 exhibited widely in prominent institutions in Europe such as the Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels and the Musée Moderne in Paris.

Best known for his complex draperies on irregular-shaped canvases, his work explores illusions of light and shadow created within the folds of fabric. New multi-dimensional works include lead sheets beneath intricate drapery, whereby the fabric both serves to conceal a mysterious object beneath while also evoking its presence.

Mariani graduated from the Accademia di Brera. He lives and works in Milan, and has become the subject of academic essays by virtually every critic in Italy.

Vinyl and sand on lead sheet
31,5 x 23,8 in (80 x 60,5 cm)