Francesco Clemente: Between Cultures and Identity

Francesco Clemente (born 1952) is an Italian-American artist known for painting, drawing, and works on paper that draw on a wide range of cultural and art-historical references.

Born in Naples and later based in New York, his practice often blends imagery from diverse traditions, including European Renaissance art and Indian visual culture. He works in tempera, watercolour, and oil, producing both intimate works and large-scale paintings characterized by symbolic density and figurative motifs.

Clemente’s imagery frequently explores themes of identity, duality, and transformation, often returning to the body as a central subject. His work reflects an interest in psychological states and mythic symbolism, combining references to personal experience with broader cultural and historical narratives.

Head Francesco Clemente, 1983–84, watercolor on paper, 39 × 53 in. (99 × 135 cm).

Francesco Clemente, "Actors of the Terreiro XIX," 2006. Watercolor on paper, 24 x 18".

Key Works:Tondo, 1981 (New York: Museum of Modern Art);Amman, 1982 (Zurich: Thomas Ammann Fine Art)