Scaleo C Sculpture

Nino Ovan was born in Udine, in 1941. He moved to Venice in 1957, where he majored in painting at “Accademia di Belle Arti”, under Giuseppe Santomaso. During the first years, he researched Pop Art, participating in numerous national exhibitions. To name a few: 49ª, 51ª, 54ª, 55ª, 56ª, 59ª Collettiva Opera Bevilacqua La Masa, Venice (mentioned for drawing skills, 2nd and 1st prize for painting); 1st International Prize, Acireale, Catania (purchase prize); 8th Modigliani Prize, Livorno (mentioned for painting); Prospettive 3, galleria Due Mondi, Rome, Reggio Emilia, Ferrara; National Prize of Painting Michetti, Francavilla al Mare; San Fedele Prize, Milan; National Review of Contemporary Art “Estensione 72” Mantova. See: Giorgio di Genova, "Storia dell’Arte italiana del Novecento, generazione anni quaranta", first volume, Edizioni Bora 2007. In 1965, along with a group of painters (Bendini, Calzolari, Mazzoli, Pasqualini and some scholars from Bologna) he founded Studio Bentivoglio. In 1967, he took an interest in primary structures, researching shape in a plastic environment, experimenting with technology and the latest materials. He began sculpting with the exhibition in Galleria del Cavallino, Venice, 1968, an activity he practices to this day with his neon works. Ovan became interested in Visual Poetry and participated in display activities organized by the international poetry magazine “Zeta”, even serving as editor. In 1978 he was among the founders of “Center of Contemporary Artistic Research Verifica 8+1”, situated in Mestre, Venice. In the eighties he took part in activities of the Cooperative of Venetian Artists. In 1988 his first watercolor exhibition took place, with Tabià as the primary subject, paradigms of a slowly fading mountain community. From 1968 to 1973 he taught Pictorial Decoration at State High School of Art in Padua. Until 2008 he was a professor of Pictorial Disciplines at State High School of Art in Venice. From 1961 Ovan has participated in a number of exhibitions, both in Italy and abroad. His works can be found in public and private collections.