Mafonso Biography
Marino Alfonso, known as Mafonso, was born in Frattaminore in 1948. A self-taught artist, he developed his style in the 1970s, spending a period in Italy and Switzerland. His artistic influences were mainly primitive art and the classical aesthetics of the vase paintings of Magna Graecia. In 1976 he held his first solo exhibition entitled "Comportamento del Segno" at the gallery of the Agency d'Arte Moderna in Rome, where he was introduced to the works of some famous historical artists such as Cy Twombly, Lucio Fontana, Alberto Burri, Mirò, and Picasso.
In 1979 he was among the founders of the group of artists "Cosa Mentale", which had a culture of design art. In the Eighties and Nineties Mafonso created large thematic cycles such as La Dea Racconto, Le Grandi Strade Piene, I Racconti Solari, Le Prime Nevi del Post 2000, Simbad, Krakatoa and le Lune di Arqua. He has exhibited his works in several galleries, including Sapere Sapore, Castello di Baia, Bacoli, "Mosaico Mosaico" at the Studio Soligo gallery in Rome, and Un Panorama Di Tendenze, Racconti Simbad Lune. He also exhibits his cycle of works Makè Makè at the Lamagneire gallery and at the Fiac in Paris. His art book Makè Makè was edited by Gerard Barriere and exhibited by the publisher at the Center Pompidou in 2001.
In 2003, Mafonso created a work of art titled "Plus Ultra" and installed it in front of the Royal Palace in Caserta, Italy. The artwork was a 40-foot tall pyramid-shaped sail with blocks painted white as a reflection and protest against the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York.
In the same year Mafonso took part in an exhibition in Piazza Dante in Caserta, where he exhibited his works in an amphitheater for peace. He also participated in the "Artist's Banners" exhibition with other famous artists such as Carla Accardi, Arcangelo, Jannis Kounellis, Luigi Mainolfi, Nagasawa, Fabio Mauri, Michele Zaza, Gianni Dessì, Lim, Elisabetta Benassi. The exhibition was curated by Giacomo Zaza and Angelo Marino dirartecontemporanea.
Finally, Mafonso presented his cycle of paintings entitled "Tempi Anni Deserti" at the Orestiade Foundation, the Gibellina Museum and the Palazzo dei Capitani in Ascoli Piceno.
