Artist Profile & Image Library - Francesco Toraldo

Francesco Toraldo was born in Catanzaro on 1960.

In 1974 he enrolled in the Art School of Catanzaro, which he attended for only one year. His refusal of the significant, but limited, school philosophy did not allow him to continue his studies, and he began visiting his father Enzo’s studio – who was also a painter – where he learnt the fundamental rules of colour and started with his first oil paintings.

His first exhibitions were held in the 1980s in Genoa, Rome and Lecce, and in 1987 he moved to Sicily where he began a new artistic digression. His meeting with the lawyer Peppino Candrilli was an important event and, in fact, led to him being the first Sicilian to have a one-man exhibition at the Lemonade gallery of Catania.

In 1994 one of his works “Studio per il sesto sigillo” was awarded a prize by the City of Vittoria (RG) and was entered into the art gallery’s collection. In 1996 he was commissioned to paint a mural in the Church of Maria Immacolata di Pedara (CT). In 1998 the “Sacra” Art Museum of Rivisondoli (AQ) invited him to create a work for their art gallery which already held works by Norberto, Terruso, Faccincani, Alinari.

From 2000 to 2003 the Calcagno galleries in Catania organised one-man exhibitions for him in Italy, France, Switzerland; he met Luca Alinari and Giuseppe Giorgi, and a sincere friendship was born with the latter. In 2003 he met the art trader Franco Pincelli and a professional collaboration between the two was established, which brought him important recognitions in Italy and abroad.

He is featured in many catalogues and art magazines, and in the volume “La pietra di Fuoco” (Ulivo saraceno Editor) 1995.

Image Gallery of currently available work - click image to view.