FLAVIO LUCCHINI

HAIR

February 28 - March 31, 2024

Bluewaters Island, Bluewaters Boulevard R29, Dubai, Uae

February 11, 2024

One of the most prominent figures from the Italian world of fashion, art and culture, Flavio Lucchini, will showcase a series of his artworks at Oblong Contemporary Gallery on the Bluewaters Island from 28th February – 31st March 2024.The exhibition includes 23 works belonging to the "HAIR" series, created by Flavio Lucchini between 2022 and 2023, when the artist first considered the woman and her facets through the hair, the only precise detail in a face without features, and in which each woman can recognize herself. The bold lines and the use of colors contribute to evoke the memories of women who lived alongside the artist in his youth, and whom he wants to pay homage to through the combination of hues and essential traits.“These are not portraits. They are memories of emotions that I feel when I leave the house and see people happy to be alive, especially women and girls. At my age, I take pleasure in seeing life full of hope. My thoughts return to my youth when everything seemed uphill. But, full of energy, I didn't give up. The faces that come to mind I see as flowers in a garden or in the fields. All beautiful, all different. They don't have features but colors. They sway in the wind, gaze into the eyes of the future, and are recognized by detail”.Flavio Lucchini, renowned for his avant-garde role as an art director and publisher in Italy during the 60s and 70s for influential publications like L'Homo Vogue, Casa Vogue, Vogue Bambini, and Lei-glamour, brings a unique perspective to his artworks. His latest creations, showcased in the upcoming exhibition at the Oblong Contemporary Gallery, illuminate the intrinsic bond between art and fashion. In addition to this, there is also a nostalgic sentiment directed towards the past, particularly towards the people - women and girls - whom Flavio has encountered throughout his career. The artist aims to pay homage to them through a contemporary yet highly evocative language.About Flavio Lucchini:

Flavio Lucchini was born in 1928, in Mantua, Italy. Post attending Milan Polytechnic in the faculty of Architecture, Flavio studied later at the Brera Arts Academy from 1946-50. In the 1960’s, he worked as a graphic designer and gained a reputation for his unique avant-garde work. In 1979 he collaborated with Corriere della Sera and created Edimoda, the first Italian publishing group specialized in high-target fashion publications. He created Donna, Mondo Uomo, Moda and other magazines that have influenced the content and the aesthetics of women’s magazines of the past decade. From 1965 to 1979, on behalf of Condè Nast, he launched Vogue Italia and created all the new magazines of the group (L’Uomo Vogue, Casa Vogue, Vogue Bambini, Lei-Glamour ecc). Lucchini is known as the most influential character in fashion editing. He continues to scout and support many young artists that will become stylists, photographers and successful journalists. In 1993 he left all his important commissions and began to explore the relationships between art and fashion. For several years Lucchini began to experiment with technique and materials, allowing him to accumulate a range of art-works. After 15 years of isolating himself in his studio, perfecting his works, he participated in his first exhibition. In 2004 he published the book “Dress-Art”, a life in fashion and in 2010 “From Fashion to Art: the Vogue Lesson” curated by Luca Beatrice, Edizioni Skira. In 2011, he was invited to Venice Biennale, to represent the Italian Pavillion. In 2012, he exhibited more than one hundred works in the anthological and institutional exhibition “On the dream of the body “living’” at the Palazzo Ducale, Sabbioneta (Mantua, Italy). In 2018, he published “Cahier”, an artist’s booklet signed and numbered in a limited edition of 100 copies, with original drawings inspired by the collections of Armani, Gigli, Versace of the early 90’s and “Il Destino – I had to be a farmer but I met fashion (and I’m not a fashion designer)”, an autobiographical book on the golden years of fashion and the experience of art in 90 memories. Lucchini, currently, divides his time between Milan, where he has his studio, and Paris, where in his Saint-Germain home-gallery he focuses completely on his art.About Oblong Contemporary Gallery:
Oblong is a Dubai based Art Gallery and its mission is to create a successful global arena for culture and art. Primarily involved in promoting contemporary and modern art, operating both locally and on the international art platform; the gallery is a place of cultural exchange, exhibiting some of the highest quality artworks and giving a platform to artists from the region. Additionally, Oblong hosts a strong program of workshops, educational initiatives and a cross-cultural art exchange program between Dubai, U.A.E and Pietrasanta, on the coast of northern Tuscany in Italy. The gallery name was derived from the ‘oblong’ shape, which comes from three other shapes; a square, a circle and a rectangle. The founders of Oblong, Emanuela Venturini & Paola Marucci described the shape as a representation of their different backgrounds and characters. Emanuela and Paola have a shared vision and combined their love for art and culture to create a platform for cross-cultural exchange between Dubai (UAE) and Pietrasanta (Italy). With strong links to the Tuscan city of Pietrasanta, Oblong embodies the DNA of this historic city and honors its rich heritage.

R 29 Bluewaters Boulevard, Bluewaters Island 34HC+W7 Dubai, United Arab Emirates

+971 4 232 2071
[email protected] oblongcontemporary.com
Opening Hours: Monday - Sunday 10AM - 10PM

For more information and marketing inquiries, please contact:

Matilde Grossi: [email protected] | +971 58 557 8563 | WA +393466879341