About the artist:

Lucio Ranucci was born in 1925 in Italy. In 1947 Ranucci moved to South America, first to Argentina, and began his career as a painter in 1949 when he had his first personal show in Lima, Perù. This was then followed by some prestigious invitations, such as to the Bienal de Sao Paul in Brazil, in 1956, and the Bienal de Mexico, Ciudad de Mexico, in 1957, quickly afterward by others in numerous countries. What should have been a brief trip to South America lasted more than sixteen years. Apart from several occasional jobs (among them merchant sailor, photographer and hearse driver) Ranucci occupied himself professionally with journalism and theatre, especially in Ecuador, Columbia and Costa Rica. In the latter country Ranucci lived for over ten years and directed, among other things the University Theatre and an evening newspaper, which allowed him to be one of the first journalist to interview Fidel Castro and Che Guevara even before they entered Havana.