Artists

Armando Baldinelli was an Italian artist who immigrated to South Africa in 1953. He was born in Ancona, attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, and continued his studies at the Bologna Lyceum and the School of Advanced Arts in Modena. Following the untimely passing of his wife, Gianna, at 26, Baldinelli was invited to visit Johannesburg by a friend who managed the Carlton Hotel. Enamoured with the country, he decided to stay and initially based himself at the Carlton, where his bathroom doubled as his studio. Baldinelli eventually built a home and studio in Oaklands and remained there until his death in 2002. Before he arrived in South Africa, his work reflected Cubist influences but his new environment allowed for greater artistic expression. This led him to move towards abstraction and explore different techniques.

While he was an artist who worked in many mediums, Baldinelli is perhaps most well-known for his large mosaic commissions for public buildings in South Africa. These include the Van Erkom Arcade in Pretoria and in Johannesburg at the Hyde Park shopping centre, O.R. Tambo International Airport, and Our Lady of the Wayside Catholic Church. Baldinelli participated in the 1933 and 1938 Venice Biennales and exhibited in Europe before World War II. He continued to exhibit throughout Europe, the USA, and Asia after the war. In addition to his public commissions, his art can also be found in numerous private collections and at the Pretoria Art Museum.