"It is the reformation of material which is what art is all about... we reform it to where it does that tuning fork to our knowledge of form within."
Born in Shanghai, China, in 1933 to Venetian parents, Mark di Suvero immigrated to the United States in 1941 and was raised in San Francisco. He graduated with a degree in philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley, before pursuing sculpture in New York City. Di Suvero is renowned for his monumental abstract expressionist sculptures crafted from industrial materials like steel and wood, which invite physical interaction and spatial exploration. Despite suffering a near-fatal accident in 1960, he adapted his practice to welding and crane-assisted construction, creating works that transform public spaces worldwide. A dedicated advocate for artists, he founded Socrates Sculpture Park in 1986 and continues to inspire through his innovative integration of art, architecture, and engineering.
Mark di Suvero’s work is represented in numerous prestigious collections and museums worldwide. In the United States, his sculptures are part of the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Storm King Art Center in New York. Other notable institutions include the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Internationally, his works are held by the Daimler Art Collection in Berlin, the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, and the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra. Di Suvero’s monumental outdoor sculptures have also been prominently featured in public spaces and citywide exhibitions across Europe, Asia, and North America, solidifying his legacy as a pioneer of large-scale abstract expressionist sculpture