Biography

Carlo Zinelli was an Italian outsider artist born on July 2, 1916, in the Veneto region of Italy. He is renowned for his unique and expressive works that emerged despite the challenges posed by his schizophrenia, which he developed early in his life. Zinelli's artistic journey began in earnest during his time at a psychiatric hospital in Verona, where he participated in a painting workshop led by sculptors and a psychiatrist. This environment allowed him to channel his creativity, producing a prolific body of work that includes approximately nineteen hundred paintings and a few sculptures. Zinelli's art is characterized by its vibrant use of primary colors and repetitive figures, often depicting scenes from his childhood in the Italian countryside. His works are noted for their "horror vacui" style, where figures fill the canvas, and his distinctive portrayal of human figures in solid shapes with profile views. Zinelli's contributions to art have been recognized and collected by major institutions, including the Collection de l’Art Brut in Lausanne and the Lille Métropole Musée d'Art moderne, d'Art contemporain et d'Art brut in France. His work continues to be celebrated for its raw emotional power and the insight it provides into the mind of an outsider artist.