National Selection, Distributed Jury: Four Artists Recognized by over 40 Experts Across Italy. The four artists selected for the 2025 edition of the Premio Osvaldo Licini by Fainplast have been revealed. The award aims to promote the most current research in the field of painting, recognizing practices that significantly renew contemporary language.
In autumn, the name of the artist who receives the most nominations will be announced. This artist will hold a solo exhibition curated by Alessandro Zechini at the Galleria d’Arte Contemporanea Osvaldo Licini in Ascoli Piceno.
The group of four artists has been compiled thanks to a widespread network of contemporary art experts—comprising curators, critics, museum directors, and artists—from across Italy. Each participant independently expressed two nominations based on merit and independence. The nominations were collected confidentially and anonymously, ensuring that the participants did not know the identities of the others involved in the process, thus guaranteeing a pluralistic, meritocratic, and transparent approach. The sum of the votes determined the names of the artists recognized this year.
Among the professionals involved in this edition are: Fabio Agovino, Caterina Angelucci, Nicolas Ballario, Luca Bertolo, Gaia Bobò, Brina Novara, Lorenzo Bruni, Enrico Camprini, Guglielmo Castelli, Giulia Colletti, Claudio Coltorti, Guia Cortassa, Antonio D’Amico, Luca De Angelis, Costantino D’Orazio, Raffaele Falone, Roberta Faraotti, Alessandro Finocchiaro, Bernardo Follini, Aurora Fonda, Elena Forin, Sergey Kantsedal, Francesco Lauretta, Lucrezia Longobardi, Luca Maffeo, Vittoria Martini, Luciano Marucci, Renata Cristina Mazzantini, Simone Menegoi, Caterina Molteni, Pier Paolo Pancotto, Bruno Paneghini, Camilla Paolino, Gianluca Di Pasquale, Rischa Paterlini, Cristiana Perrella, Alessandro Pessoli, Samuele Piazza, Chiara Pirozzi, Elena Pontiggia, Adriana Rispoli, Serena Schioppa, Simona Squadrito, Maria Chiara Valacchi, Alice Visentin, Davide Mancini Zanchi.
Established in 2021, the award aims to support and promote contemporary painting research, drawing inspiration from the visionary figure of Osvaldo Licini. In five editions, it has engaged nearly 200 professionals in the field—including curators, critics, institution directors, journalists, and collectors—gathering almost 400 nominations. From this process, 21 selected artists have emerged, showcasing excellence in both Italian and international art. The award has established itself over time as a reference point for identifying the most innovative practices and for building an active network among artists, curators, institutions, and the public.
The four artists selected for the 2025 edition of the Premio Osvaldo Licini by Fainplast are Paola Angelini, whose research is distinguished by a profound exploration of pictorial language and the role of painting in history, where personal memory intertwines with references to tradition. Angelini works on layered painting, where concreteness and vision coexist, creating images suspended between reality and imagination. Her process is nourished by observation and reflection, often leaving the works in a state of becoming, like open notes on the craft of painting.
Adelaide Cioni’s poetic approach is based on a playful and liberating relationship with painting, where color becomes a tool for exploration and joy. Her works, often characterized by essential forms and vibrant hues, stem from a desire for lightness and an intention to restore to art a liberating function. Play, sign, and language are central elements of a practice that dialogues between drawing, painting, and installation, reflecting on perception and the relationship between space and figure.
Meanwhile, the Abruzzese artist Matteo Fato investigates painting as a process and as a space of freedom, often staging the behind-the-scenes aspects of the painting practice. His work is characterized by a strong focus on material, framing, and the tools of the trade, which become an integral part of the artwork. His research centers on still life and the relationship between object and representation, featuring dense and gestural painting that reflects on the very meaning of the image and its presence in contemporary space.
Completing the group is Sebastiano Impellizzeri, who develops a profound reflection on pictorial language, where color emerges as a bearer of light and truth. His practice moves between painting and installation, transcending the boundaries of the canvas to expand painting into space. Recurring themes include memory, eroticism, and the tension between the visible and the hidden, with particular attention to constructing a personal color palette and experimenting with new expressive modalities.
Once again, the Premio Osvaldo Licini by Fainplast reveals some of the most prestigious names in contemporary pictorial research, aiming to investigate the artistic journey of those who are the protagonists of today and tomorrow in one of the longest-standing mediums in the history of art.
“The Licini Award is based on a principle of listening and sharing, thanks to a network of experts that provides an authentic snapshot of the most vital energies in contemporary painting in Italy. The artists recognized this year testify to the plurality of languages and visions that animate the national scene, confirming the award’s mission: to support research, foster dialogue, and promote quality,” summarizes Andrea Valentini, President of Arte Contemporanea Picena, the mission of the award.
Roberta Faraotti, representing Fainplast, the supporting company of the award, also expresses her satisfaction for this fifth edition. “Year after year, the cohort of professionals who have chosen to participate in the award’s proceedings has perfectly interpreted the direction of contemporary painting research, identifying the best protagonists in the wake of Licini’s inspiration.”
On the cover: Sebastiano Impellizzeri, Ph. Alberto Nidola
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