Mario Schifano

(Italian, 1934–1998)

Mario Schifano was an Italian painter best known for his Postmodern collages combining advertising imagery, wrapping paper, and painted elements. His work often referred to popular culture or art history, featuring well-known brand logos or kitsch recurring motifs in the vein of Pop Art, including lily pads and horses. Constantly adapting to contemporary culture, Schifano worked in numerous media, shifting between film, music, or photography—often employing more than one at a time. During the 1960s, he embarked on a broad series of political works exploring the ongoing Vietnam War through films and photograms. Born in Homs, Libya on September 20, 1934, he emigrated with his family to Italy at a young age. Despite battling a lifelong drug addiction, Schifano was a dedicated and prolific artist, enjoying a celebrated career before his death in Rome, Italy on January 26, 1998 at the age of 63.