About
Luigi Rocca, the hyperrealist painter, was born in Porpetto, near Udine, Italy. The second of three brothers, Luigi was born to Francesca and Edgardo Rocca on December 26, 1952.
At sixteen, Luigi gained renown at a student level as his work was much appreciated at city and regional art exhibitions. Figurative art became the object of his creations but landscapes also fascinated him. He turned to the past for inspiration, while remaining with his feet firmly planted in the present.
In 1980 Luigi wished to expand his horizons. America beckoned to him. So, without losing touch with his beloved Realism, his art became more contemporary. In Manaus, upon the initiative of the Ministry of Culture and support of Brazilian authorities, a personal exhibition by Luigi obtained very favourable review.
In 1985 a simple exhibition at Turin’s Viotti Gallery consecrated Luigi in his adoptive city as one of the most prestigious artists representing hyper-realism, that much-discussed pictorial genre.
In 1987 Luigi met Giorgio Bordon, the manager of an important and prestigious art gallery, the San Giorgio Art Gallery, in Portofino, Italy, where he exhibited his art for several years.
In 1998 he exhibited at Art Expo in New York, and in the following years many personal exhibitions were organized in New Orleans and San Francisco.
In 1996 Luigi returned to Venice. He exhibits his artworks at Melori & Rosenberg Art Gallery, his reference gallery in Italy. Since then, with the collaboration of the Gallery, he exhibited his artworks in many prestigious solo exhibitions (“Hyperrealist Impressionism” in San Donà di Piave – Venice – in 2004; “A New Experience: Jerushalaim – New York – Venice” at the Jewish Museum if Venice in 2004; “Luigi Rocca: City Views” at Michael J. Wolf Fine Arts of San Diego (CA) in 2005; “Luigi Rocca Urban Landscapes” at Melori & Rosenberg Gallery in Venice in 2006; “Luigi Rocca – Back Home” at Church St. Antonio Abate in Udin in 2007; “Luigi Rocca Beyond Borders” at Melori & Rosenberg Gallery in Venice in 2009).
Luigi Rocca also took part into three prestigious itinerant group shows organized by Melori & Rosenberg Gallery: “Venice – Views on Ghetto” (showed in the Ghetto of Venice, in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa in 2005), “In the Space of the Cross” (showed at Church St. Salvador and Church St. Rocco in Venice in 2010) and "As Time Goes By" (mounted at the Gallery and in Pesariis in 2016).
Mr Henry Mensing also gave Luigi Rocca a great contribution as a gallery: since 2006 many personal exhibitions were mounted at his private art galleries in Munich, Hannover, Berlin, Frankurt, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Sylt.
His official publisher, Melori & Rosenberg, published two artbooks (“Luigi Rocca. The Artbook” in 2001 and “Luigi Rocca. Eine Monographie” by Petra Schaefer in 2009), and all the catalogues.
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In October 2007 he met Vicki and Peter Arnot, who began representing his art throughout the USA. At their gallery, located in the Chelsea district of New York, they organized five wonderful solo exhibitions and permanently exhibit his originals and giclee on canvas.
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In 2017 a great exhibition of his and his daughter's paintings, "Father and Daughter", was organized at MAC in Milan thanks to curator Luca Beatrice. In 2018 a very important personal exhibition was mounted at Castle Nynphenburg of Munich.
