Ceramic artist Stefano Dal Monte Casoni dies at 62

Stefano Dal Monte Casoni, half of the renowned ceramic duo Bertozzi & Casoni, died at 62 after a long illness. Born in Lugo di Romagna in 1961, he met Giampaolo Bertozzi at the Istituto Statale d'Arte per la Ceramica in Faenza, later studying at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Bologna. They founded their partnership in Imola in 1980, collaborating with Cooperativa Ceramica from 1985 to 1989. Their early work, 'Minimi avanzi' (1980s), featured pointillist-painted maiolica compositions on small tables. A turning point came in 1997 when gallerist Gian Enzo Sperone urged them toward industrial ceramic materials, shifting their style to hyperrealism and surrealism. Major exhibitions include homages to Giorgio Morandi at Galleria d'Arte Maggiore in Bologna and 'Antropocene' at Galleria Civica di Trento (both 2022), and 'Cinque Stagioni' at Sperone Westwater in New York (2021). In 2017, the Museo Bertozzi & Casoni opened at Cavallerizza Ducale in Sassuolo, housing works like 'Scegli il Paradiso' (1997), 'Composizione non finita infinita' (2009), and 'Brillo Box con pappagalli' (2016). Bertozzi remembered him as cheerful, ironic, and strong-willed. Imola's mayor praised his rare sensitivity and intelligence. Funeral services will be held at the church of Valsellustra.