Biography

Italian-American artist, professor, philosopher, Italo Scanga was born in 1932 in Calabria, Italy. A father of 5 and grandfather of 5, he called himself a mad scientist who loved to create controversy in his art - frustrating the observer to truly look and feel the work. He said he can't explain how he creates, he just 'does it' by intuition and feeling the pulse of the work. In fact, he said that it is hard to know when the work is finished. "It just is!" He was known for his joyful constructions and his superb talent across the spectrum of art media. His work in painting, glass, ceramic, bronze, and prints are in numerous museum collections, including The Art Institute of Chicago, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and The Los Angeles County Museum of Art. His major solo exhibitions have appeared in museums and galleries around the world, including the Museum of Fine Art in Boston and the Museo Rufino Tamayo in Mexico City. He was a life-long friend of Dale Chihuly participating at the Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, WA, founded by Dale Chihuly, as a visiting artist. He continued to work there annually through 2001, the year of his passing in Southern California.