Renato Barisani was born in Naples in 1918. His training took place first in Naples, where in 1937 he graduated from the Art Institute and in 1941 from the Academy of Fine Arts in sculpture, then in Monza, where he had the opportunity to attend courses by Semeghini, Pica and Marini.

He takes part from 1947 to 1950 in the experiences of the “Gruppo Sud” in Naples; from 1950 to 1955, together with R. De Fusco, G. Tatafiore and A. Venditti constitutes the “Gruppo Napoletano Arte Concreta,” moving in the sphere of abstract research; from 1953 to 1957 he is present in the “Movimento Arte Concreta” in Milan, participating in almost all the exhibitions, including historical ones, in Italy and abroad; from 1960 to 1963 he is present in the “Nuova Scuola Europea” in Lausanne.

He is invited to the Quadriennali romane of 1948,1965 and 1986 and the Venice Biennales of 1962 and 1972.
In 1977 he exhibited in his first major anthological exhibition at the Villa Pignatelli Museum in Naples, in which he presented works made from 1940 to 1975.

The last decade of his life is marked by a series of anthological exhibitions, such as the one at Castel dell’Ovo in October 2000 and the Palazzo delle arti in Naples, where, in 2008 his most recent works are exhibited.

He died in Naples at the age of nearly 93, while he had an ongoing exhibition on Jazz and Abstractionism in Forio d’Ischia.

In July 2017, the Pinacoteca Comunale d’Arte Contemporanea of the City of Gaeta dedicated a new anthological exhibition to him with more than 200 works, some previously unpublished. In addition to paintings and sculptures, photograms, ceramics, tapestries, mosaics and jewelry are exhibited.

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