Mimmo Paladino (born in Paduli, in 1948) began his artistic journey in the late 1960s, characterised by an openness to various artistic mediums – initially focusing on photography and drawing, then expanding to include performance art and theatre. In addition to painting, printmaking, and sculpture, Paladino collaborated with prominent designers and architects such as Ettore Sottsass, the Memphis Group, Mario Botta, and Renzo Piano. 

Paladino played a crucial role in bridging the allegories that shaped Southern Italy with a multitude of artistic languages to give rise to a new, eclectic and pioneering approach to art marking. In the 1970s, he challenged the avant-garde art system, expanding the possibilities of artistic expression across disciplines. He was a prominent figure in the Transavanguardia movement theorised by the art critic Achille Bonito Oliva, alongside artists like Sandro Chia, Clemente, Cucchi, and Nicola De Maria. Paladino gained international recognition in the 1980s, exhibiting in significant museums and events such as the Venice Biennale and Documenta.

In the following years, Paladino continued experimenting, engaging with urban spaces and creating impactful installations. His exhibitions in Beijing, Florence’s Forte Belvedere, and other European and American cities, along with public installations like the “Montagna di sale” in Naples and the “Montagna blu” in Solopaca in the province of Benevento, displayed the grandeur of his oeuvre and artistic language. 

Paladino's work is held in major public collections, including the Los Angeles County Art Museum; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Solomon R Guggenheim Museum, New York; Tate, London; Berlin Neue Galerie; Australian National Gallery, Canberra; Gallery of Ontario, Toronto; and Setegaya Museum, Tokyo.