Ugo Maffi (1939 - 2012), modernist painter, graphic artist and illustrator, is a significant name of contemporary Italian art. Originally trained as an accountant, he abandoned this to take up painting in the 60's. His paintings often had little design and lots of color, little form but much emotion. The soul of the river fascinated him, and the mixture of swirling green and blue of some of his paintings tells of long fishing mornings, nocturnal miracles, moonlight and river travelers.
He collbaorated with well-known Italian and European poets in the design of graphic maps and eventually became chairman of Xylon Italia, an international association of graphic artists.
