Dionisio Cimarelli

He was born in Jesi, and at the age of seven, his family relocated to the nearby town of Moie di Maiolati Spontini, hometown of the composer Gaspare Spontini. Since early age, Cimarelli showed an exceptional sensitivity and a strong attraction to the world of art, despite having no family background in artistic pursuits and no exposure to discussions about art. In 1975, his aptitude was already noticed when he received the first prize for a painting submitted to the local Premio Natale, an artistic competition exclusively designed for primary school students.

In 1983, Cimarelli earned a diploma in sculpture at Liceo artistico Edgardo Mannucci (formerly Istituto Statale d'Arte "E. Mannucci") in Ancona, Italy.

In 1989, he graduated in sculpture from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara, Italy. To collect information for his thesis, in 1986 Dionisio traveled to China[8] on the Trans-Siberian Railway[9] to China.[10][11] The trip was made possible by a letter of invitation from the sculptor Floriano Bodini, then president of the Art Academy. His travel history and his pictures while traveling were published on July 1988 on the Italian magazine “Tuttoturismo” in Milan, Italy.[12]

In 1994, Cimarelli was awarded a diploma in sculpture at Scola prufesciunela per la artejanat artistich (School of specialization in sculpture of wooden figure) in Sëlva di Val Gardena, Italy. In 1995, he enrolled at the University of Paris in Paris, France. In 1997, he studied with sculptor Mikhail Anikushin at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, Russia. In 1998, he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts, Prague, Czech Republic.

The pleasant dream, 1985 Bronze, H 50 cm

1989 Ceramic

St. John the Baptist 2001, Carrara Marble H.150 cm.

Child N.7, 2008 Chinese Porcelain, H 60 cm

Child, Chinese Porcelain 2008

Matteo Ricci, Gilded Fiberglass with 24K Gold Leaf and Calligraphy, 150 cm, 2010

Abstract Cimarelli's began his career creating abstract anthropomorphic shapes inspired by surrealism. From 1983-1990, he produced works in terracotta, wood, bronze, and marble. Invited by Claudio Abbado, Cimarelli's first abstract sculpture exhibition was organized by Elmar Weingarten at the Berliner Philharmonie in Berlin, Germany in 1999.

Realism Inspired by his conservation experience at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, Cimarelli moved to figurative sculpture in 1991. Studying techniques from sculptors such as Donatello, Michelangelo, Jacopo della Quercia, and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, he produced sculpture in wood, bronze, stone, and marble. In 2001, he created a marble sculpture of St. John the Baptist[13] that was first exhibited in Oslo, Norway.

Figurative Chinese Series From 2007-2008, Cimarelli create a series of contemporary figurative sculpture in porcelain[14] with colorful, jewel-like surface finishing in Jingdezhen in the Jiangxi province of China.[15]

Cimarelli has participated in several large sculptural and architectural restoration projects. From 1990-1991, he worked on the renovation of the Court Napoleon at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The courtyard surrounds the Louvre Pyramid designed by I.M. Pei. In 1995, he worked on the Christiansborg Palace Chapel in Copenhagen, Denmark. In 1998, he worked the Strasbourg Cathedral in Strasbourg, France and the Porte d'Aix in Marseille, France. In 2002, he restored the Institution of Civil Engineers headquarters in London, England. The following year, he worked on the restoration of the Stockholm Palace and House of Nobility in Stockholm, Sweden.[16]

From 2007-2010, Cimarelli[17] served as Art Supervisor[18] for the Zhongkai Sheshan Villas in Shanghai, China. Designed by ten architectural firms from United States, the project consisted of 81 contemporary luxury villas. Four of the villas were designed by Mack Scogin of Mack Scogin Merrill Elam, architect and adjunct Professor of Architecture at Harvard University. Built with stone, marble, wood, and metal, Cimarelli oversaw the quality of materials and construction for the project.

The Matteo Ricci[19] sculpture[20] was made in China,[21] for the ITALY Pavilion at Shanghai World Expo 2010,[22] on the 400th anniversary of his death.[23] At the end of the show, it was also displayed for about two years at the Italian Embassy in Beijing. The sculpture is now property of the Government of the Marche Region and it stands today at the entrance of the Confucius Institute of Macerata , while the plaster model is permanently placed at the main entrance of the Consulate General[24] of Italy in Shanghai, China.[25][26][27][28] In 2013 Finishing Performance of the original model in plaster of Matteo Ricci sculpture at the Italian Centre, former Italy Pavilion of Shanghai World EXPO 2010, Shanghai (China)[29][30]

Cimarelli has been a visiting scholar at at Faculty of Fine Arts of Bundipatanasilpa Institute University[31] in Bangkok, Thailand, Wimbledon College of Art in London, England, and King Saud University[32] in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

He has lectured internationally at universities including: Sir J.J. School of Art at the University of Mumbai, India; Silliman University[33][34] in Dumaguete, Philippines; China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, China; China Central Academy of Fine Arts and Beijing Renwen University[35] in Beijing, China;[36] and Ontario College of Art & Design in Toronto, Canada.

Cimarelli has also been a guest speaker at High Street Italia[37] Seoul in South Korea, University Club of New York[38] for the Annual Savoy History Lecture,[39] Montclair University[40] (New Jersey) USA,[41] The Art Students League of New York (New York),[42][43] the Italian Cultural Institute in San Francisco,[44][45][46] California[47] (USA), the Diocesan Museum in Jesi and the Beijing International Sculpture Forum organized by the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China and China Sculpture Magazine[48] in Beijing, at Mingyuan Art Centre[49] and at Shanghai Library in Shanghai (China).[50] In 2019 has been invited to tell his extraordinary life and artistic path at the Theatre Carlo Goldoni of Corinaldo[51] and at the Academy of Fine Arts of Macerata,[52] Italy and at Columbia University.[53] in New York City.

• 1993 Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano Sud,[54] South Tirol, Italy
• 1995 New York Academy of Art, New York, NY
• 1996 National Sculpture Society,[55] New York, NY
• 1997 Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale, Rome, Italy
• 2011 Spontini D'Oro, Maiolati Spontini, Italy[56]
• 2015 Permanent Residence United States for Alien of extraordinary ability EB-1[57]
• 2019 "Marchigiano of the Year in the world", at Senate of the Republic (Italy) in Rome[58][59][60][61][62][63][64]

• 1999 Sculture e disegni, Berlin Philharmonie, Berlin, Germany
• 1999 Dionisio Cimarelli: Sculpture e disegni, Italian Cultural Institute, Berlin, Germany
• 1999 Dionisio Cimarelli: Sculpture e disegni, Wilhelm Galerie, Potsdam, Germany
• 2001 Dionisio Cimarelli, Galleri Asur, Oslo, Norway
• 2004 Dionisio Cimarelli Scultore: Il San Giovanni Battista, Chiesa della Cancellata, Maiolati Spontini, Italy
• 2005 Dionisio Cimarelli: Sculptures and Drawings, Consulate General of Italy, Shanghai, China[65]
• 2008 Dionisio Cimarelli: Sculptures in Chinese Porcelain, Embassy of Italy Cultural Institute, Beijing, China[66][67][68][69][70][71]
• 2011 Matteo Ricci, Embassy of Italy, Beijing, China
• 2013 Matteo Ricci, Italian Center, Shanghai, China[72]

• 2005 Beijing International Art Biennale, Beijing, China[73]
• 2006 Shanghai International Biennial City Sculpture Exhibition, Shanghai, China
• 2007 Dumaguete Terracotta Sculpture Biennale, Dumaguete, Philippines
• 2008 Moon River Contemporary Art Museum, Beijing, China
• 2008 MOCA Shanghai, Shanghai, China
• 2009 Chinese International Sculpture Almanac Exhibition, Beijing and Hangzhou, China
• 2010 Centennial Celebration of Women in Art, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
• 2010 Expo 2010, Italian Pavilion, Shanghai, China[74][75]
• 2011 Venice Biennale - Padiglione ITALIA nel Mondo, Venice, Italy
• 2011 China Nandaihe International Sculpture Exhibition, Nandaihe, China
• 2014 Natura e Storia, Accademia di Belle Arti di Macerata[76] Macerata, Italy
• 2015 The Art Students League of New York, USA
• 2016 The Art Students League of New York, USA[77]

• 2005 Dionisio Cimarelli, Documentary on Oriental Television at Art Channel of Shanghai Media Group in Shanghai, China[78]

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