Attilio Melfi was born in Brindisi on 28 April 1964. In 1984 he moved to Bologna, which soon became his adopted city. There he studied Civil Engineering and graduated in 1990. He lives and works in Bologna. After a long international career in the construction of major infrastructural projects, he rediscovered his passion for art and painting in 2017. His practice began with urban contexts, which he depicts at different times of day using traditional techniques, particularly oil on canvas. Hyperrealism characterises his early works: his aim is to represent reality as it appears to his eyes, without filters or artifices, while capturing its essence through varying light conditions and viewpoints. More recently, he has explored new expressive techniques and subjects, including his “contemporary seascapes”—marine landscapes that incorporate elements of the present, alongside historic urban centres marked by traces of contemporaneity. These works form the core of his latest production. The underlying tension remains consistent: although grounded in faithful representation, his painting conveys a subtly dreamlike and contemporary vision of reality.

Selected solo exhibitions include:

– Attimo zero, Galleria Incinque Open Art Monti, Rome, 4–5 November 2022
– Le marine del duemila, Palazzo Nervegna, Brindisi, 10–18 September 2021
– Fuori Tempo, Galleria B4, Bologna, 19 February – 20 March 2021
– L’altra stagione, Galleria Incinque Open Art Monti, Rome, 18–20 September 2020
– Uquadro2, Galleria B4, Bologna, 23 November 2019 – 18 January 2020

Selected group exhibitions include:

– Paratissima 2020 – Rebirthing, Turin, 18 June – 25 July 2021
– Lucca Art Festival, Lucca, 29 May – 6 June 2021