Giuliano Tomaino, born in La Spezia in 1945 and currently residing in Sarzana, is a renowned artist known for his work in the Arte Povera movement. His career began in the late sixties and evolved throughout the 1970s and beyond.

During the 1970s, Tomaino utilized bedspreads as a medium to depict themes of nature, decay, and the passage of time. As the mid-1970s approached, his focus shifted to sign painting. Using intersecting lines in varying black and red scales, he created a signature style that would persist in his future works. Collages made from frayed fabric were also a prominent feature of his contemporaneous pieces.

New York City played a crucial role in Tomaino’s artistic development, as he had the opportunity to collaborate closely with Mario Soldati. This period of his life drew inspiration from the picturesque landscapes of Tellaro and Liguria. Influences from the environment, such as the mussel-farming poles in the gulf, jellyfish, clouds, and the disappearing sea in the sky, found their way into his paintings. In the 1986 piece “E’ il mare dileguato nel cielo,” the port takes center stage. Later, in 1990, Tomaino incorporated the cymbal as a recurring theme, inspired by the swallows that flock to his Sarzana studio, where he continues to work to this day.