First retrospective on Alfonso Leoni opens at MIC Faenza

The Museo internazionale della Ceramica (MIC) in Faenza has inaugurated the first-ever retrospective on Alfonso Leoni (Faenza, 1941 – Rimini, 1980), forty years after his death. The exhibition brings together 200 works by the artist, spanning ceramics, painting, graphics, design, and sculpture. It was made possible by a long research effort by MIC director Claudia Casali in collaboration with the Archivio Leoni, with support from the Regione Emilia-Romagna. Open until January 19, 2021, the show offers guided tours every Sunday at 10:30 AM with museum staff, and every Friday from October 2 to November 13 with students from Leoni's Plastic Arts course. Leoni studied at the Istituto d'Arte Ballardini under Angelo Bianchino, later becoming his collaborator and teacher. He received awards in Faenza, Cervia, Rimini, and Gualdo Tadino, and experimented with materials like paper, bronze, plastic, marble, wood, glass, and precious metals, incorporating techniques from contemporary art into ceramics. He was influenced by Eastern art and was known for provocative actions, including protests at the Premio Faenza in the 1970s, where he distributed raw clay and destroyed his own works. He also worked with industry, designing for Maioliche Faentine, Villeroy & Boch, and Rosenthal. Leoni died of leukemia at age 39.