Born in Grottole (Matera) Nisio Lopergolo mastered fine arts in Bari and completed his education at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence. Throughout his career, he has combined art practice and teaching. He has exhibited his works in solo and collective exhibitions and won sculpture contests for sculptures to be displayed permanently in public venues. He runs his own laboratory in the heart of Matera, which has been visited by art lovers from all around the world.
Although he has made sculptures in a variety of media, his artistic research focuses principally on ceramic art and the revival of historic pottery techniques such as the lucignolo. He is also committed to reinterpreting the heritage of his native land. Attesa Inerte (Inert Waiting), for instance, the ceramic sculpture on show at the XIth Florence Biennale, is vaguely reminiscent of some ancient sculptures from the Lucania region that were excavated in the Marasà shrine at Locri Epizefiri and are now at the National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria. With a play of form and shadow enhanced by the gleam of gilt bronze, this fascinating ceramic sculpture stirs imagination on the harmony of spheres theorised by Pythagoras of the time he lived in Metaponto, the artist’s native district.
