Born in 1956 in Marilia in Brazil, Julio Villani works and lives in Paris since 1982.

Since his childhood in Marilia where he began to learn art in the studio of his neighbor who was a restorer of panels and paintings from churches, Julio Villani has repeatedly been in a nomadic and artistic quest which nurtured his subjectivity and his work’s dynamic.

After studying at the art faculty of Sao Paulo, he went to Amazonia “to see the sources of indian geometry” and continued research in European museums such as Louvre, National Gallery or Prado, to see artworks known since childhood thanks to photographies. He studied then at Watford School of London and at Beaux-Arts of Paris before getting in 1993 the Leonardo da Vinci grant from the Ministère de la Culture et de la Francophonie.

Julio Villani mixes “historical references of visuality (concrete – constructivist, abstract, surrealist, sensitive geometrical patterns of brazilian indigenous peoples and popular imaginary) with the expansion of directories  - graphic, photographic, chromatic and three-dimensional - to embroid, assembly utilitarian objects, interfere with pre-existing images” *.

Since the end of the 1990’s, he participates in many exhibitions in France and Brasil.

Mouvements Modernes will present the Kolton chairs, drew and edited by Pierre Staudenmeyer for Neotu in the 80’s and covered with an artwork of Julio Villani. The PAD will be the occasion to pay tribute to the work made by the two persons at the end of the 80’s. More than thirty years after, the artist creates a new set of drawings which will be embroidered on the backs and the seats of the set of six chairs. 

*Fernando Cocchiarale, - Julio Villani 1+1+1 - Preface - Somogy Art Editions, Paris, 2016.