Dionisio Cimarelli is an Italian sculptor known for many works including his sculpture of Matteo Ricci. Like Matteo Ricci, the Italian Jesuit missionary who brought Western art techniques to China and himself adapted to Chinese culture, Cimarelli's own artistic path has also been intertwining with Chinese culture: he traveled from Italy to China where he lived for nine years, studying Chinese language and customs, combining the two cultures in his works.
Cimarelli first encountered Chinese art at a very early age and was fascinated by its traditional forms, especially those from the Tang Dynasty. In the 1980s, he studied art in Asia and was further influenced by Chinese art. Two decades later, he decided to move to China and used materials and techniques originating from Chinese traditional art to create his own works.
For Cimarelli, now living in New York, his life in China has ended, but his exploration into combing cultures through his art continues.
Old Version
