Painter and teacher Michele De Luca dies at 72

Michele De Luca, an Italian painter, poet, and longtime professor at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma, died on July 24, 2026 at age 72. Born May 28, 1954 in Pitelli, La Spezia, he taught in Milan, Sassari, and Florence before moving to Rome in 2008. His abstract work explored color, light, and cosmic space, often using transparent glazes and metallic supports. He also published poetry collections including "Altre realtà" (2008), "Episodi del diluvio" (2015), "Parvenze" (2017), and the anthology "Nei mondi" (2024), edited by Anna Imponente. His first solo show in Rome was at Break Club in 1987, curated by Paolo Balmas and Ennio Borzi. In 2025 he exhibited "Nei Mondi" at the Casa Museo Hendrik Christian Andersen in Rome. He will be buried in Pitelli.