ARNALDO POMODORO
Arnaldo Pomodoro (b. 1926, Morciano di Romagna, Italy) is one of the most influential Italian sculptors of the 20th and 21st centuries, celebrated for his monumental bronze works that appear both ancient and futuristic. He began his artistic journey as an architect and goldsmith after studying at the Istituto d’Arte in Pesaro. These early experiences with metalwork profoundly shaped his understanding of structure, form, and materiality, leading him to develop a unique sculptural language rooted in geometric perfection disrupted by intricate internal fractures.
Before gaining international acclaim for his monumental sculptures — such as Sphere Within Sphere (Sfera con Sfera) installed in locations from the Vatican Museums to the United Nations Headquarters — Pomodoro first explored these ideas on a smaller, more intimate scale through jewelry. His jewels of the 1950s and 1960s, made in gold, silver, and bronze, reveal an extraordinary sensitivity to proportion and surface. They transform architectural and cosmic concepts into wearable art, combining the precision of design with the tactile richness of handcraft.
Each piece functions as a microcosm of his sculptural philosophy: smooth, polished exteriors conceal dynamic, complex interiors that suggest movement, tension, and the passage of time. Through these miniature constructions, Pomodoro captures his enduring fascination with contrasts — between the mechanical and the organic, the perfect and the broken, the timeless and the momentary.
Pomodoro’s jewelry not only anticipates his monumental public works but also stands as an independent body of art, bridging the world of design and sculpture. Today, his jewels are regarded as rare and significant examples of mid-century Italian avant-garde design, embodying his belief that art should exist at every scale — from the monumental to the wearable.
