The Raclin Murphy Museum of Art is honored to announce the landmark exhibition of internationally acclaimed Italian artist Mimmo Paladino (b. 1948). A leading figure of the Italian avant-garde, Paladino’s paintings, sculptures, installations, films, prints, and illustrations are held in renowned public and private collections worldwide, including at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Tate Modern, and the Vatican Museums. He is also highly regarded for his site-specific commissions, which include the mosaic, stained-glass, and wall drawings of the Mary, Queen of Families Chapel at the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art.

An overview of Paladino’s career will introduce audiences to the artist’s repertoire and highlight his position within the currents of art history through his paintings and sculptures. Following that contextualization, the exhibition will illuminate the master’s passion with literature and the art of the book through illustrations including his imagery for the Roman Messale for Pope Francis and a special edition of Dante’s Divine Comedy. 

The final section will examine the commission and creation of the Mary, Queen of Families Chapel, including the premier presentation of Paladino’s unique handmade vestments that he has donated to the Museum and University. Although Paladino is not exclusively a religious artist, this exhibition highlights his commitment to the great humanistic and spiritual traditions that have shaped his work while also acknowledging the contribution his contemporary voice has added to the history of art.

“We are deeply honored to have worked with Mimmno Paladino for many years on many site-specific commissions and now this extraordinary exhibition. Most of this work—a celebration of humanity through art—has never been shown in the United States”, shares Joseph Antennucci Becherer, Director and Curator of Contemporary Art, Raclin Murphy Museum of Art.

Born and trained in southern Italy, Paladino first gained critical acclaim in the 1980s as a member of the Transavanguardia movement, whose artists sought a renewal of figurative art and a willingness to experiment with materials in the wake of successive waves of abstraction in America and Europe. Living briefly in New York, Paladino’s life and work have always maintained a close connection to Italy’s broad artistic heritage, its people, and traditions. Although commissions from the Vatican and the University of Notre Dame have focused attention on his liturgical work, Paladino’s oeuvre is vast; he explores history, literature, and dream imagery through his iconography, creative vision, and innovative use of materials.