Biography of an Artist in Viggiù (Varese - Italy)

Ignazio Campagna was born in Bagheria (Palermo, Sicily) in 1956. His father Pietro, a tuff quarry-man at the “Pirriere”, moves to Viggiù (Varese, Lombardy) in 1969. Here Ignazio starts to learn the basics of sculpture with the famous stone-cutters of Viggiù, the so called “picasass”, as his teachers.

He attends high school at Liceo “A.Frattini” in Varese where with professor Pasquale Martini he creatively improves his knowledge of sculpture. He obtains his art diploma in 1977 and his sculpture diploma in 1981 at the renowned Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milano (Italy), with professor G. Marchese. From 1979 to 1981, he works at Barasso (Va) in sculpture Vittorio Tavernari’s studio where he makes some stone works (let’s mention “Maternità”- “Maternity”- in aurisina stone).

As he attends the Academy, he learns several artistic techniques and improves his knowledge of anatomy at sculptor Ettore Cedraschi’s studio in Milan. From 1995 to 1998, he works for sculptor Francesco Somaini, at Leucotea, Porta d’Europa (Gate to Europe), Donna che lotta con il serpente (Woman fighting with a snake) and Euridice.

He is a teacher of plastics at Liceo Artistico (Art School) of Varese. In 2010 he realized Madame Africa a bronze monumental sculpture of 7 meters high for the Ciad Republic.

Since 2012 he have been the Curator of the Musei Civici Viggiutesi Enrico Butti. He has many personal and collective exhibitions to his credit and he took part to various artistic competitions. Several of his works are part of private and public collections. He lives and works in Viggiù (Italy).