Richard Di Rosa

Richard Di Rosa, also known as Buddy, is a French sculptor whose cheerful, cartoonish artworks can be seen not only in galleries and museums but also in public spaces such as hotel yards, aquaparks and restaurants. Di Rosa is a talented self-taught artist with a great sense of humor and he finds the inspiration for his pieces in multiple sources – comics, rock music, graffiti, domestic animals, and even African culture. Di Rosa was one of the members of the French movements called Figuration Libre, which was the circle of innovative artists active in the 80s in France.

Art of Figuration Libre

Di Rosa was born in Sète, France in the early 60s. His nickname Buddy is a tribute to Buddy Holly, one of the central figures of the mid-1950s American rock and roll. Music was a very influential factor when it comes to Di Rosa’s career and identity, and the same goes for the circle of artists he was working with. Together with his brother Hervé Di Rosa and a couple of other artists, Rémi Blanchard, François Boisrond and Robert Combas, Richard has founded a new art movement called Figuration Libre, which is the French equivalent of Bad Painting and Neo-expressionism. The artists belonging to this circle were famous for their revolutionary approach and finding the inspiration for their art in pop culture as well as everyday life and seemingly ordinary reality. Richard Di Rosa was the only member of this circle who chose sculpture as a means of self-expression.

Together with his brother, Richard has founded a new art movement called Figuration Libre, which is the French equivalent of Bad Painting and Neo-expressionism

Personal Career Path

In the beginning of his career, Di Rosa's art was heavily influenced by Figuration Libre and his brother’s style. However, very quickly, he began to develop his personal universe of art. Di Rosa’s saturated, bright colors, round shapes and funny, cartoonish characters resemble the paintings of the eminent Spanish surrealist Joan Miro or German dadaist Max Ernst. Another inspiring themes for Di Rosa are African culture, music and small animals – especially hens and chickens. His pieces have a strong commercial appeal – they are often grotesque in a funny way and represent excellent decorative elements in public areas. Di Rosa exhibited his work for the first time in 1982 at the Gillespie Laage Salomon gallery in Paris, with his brother, Hervé Di Rosa. The exhibition was a great success and already a year later, in 1983, Di Rosa’s career became international – he started exhibiting in the United States, Belgium, Thailand, and Ghana. Also, a large collection of his sculptures can be seen in Cité de la Musique in Paris and Musee Paul Valery in Sète.

Even though he was initially influenced by Figuration Libre, Di Rosa very quickly began to develop his personal universe of cartoonish characters

Free Style Sculpture

Di Rosa is an important pioneer of French Neo-expressionism who managed to incorporate the elements of pop-culture into the medium of sculpture. This was an entirely new concept in the 80s, since most of the Neo-expressionists, both in France and internationally, were painters. Di Rosa's sculpture was unexpected and provocative at the time and it became widely recognized for its unusual style. Nowadays, his newer pieces can be found in various parks and city squares all over the world and they are adored by both children and adults for their fresh, unconventional style.

The artist is represented by Galerie Galea.

Richard Di Rosa lives and works in Paris, France.

Featured image: Richard Di Rosa - Mister Freeze Exhibition, 2013 - image via mrpoes.blogspot.com
All images used for illustrative purpose only.