Gianni Colombo was an Italian artist and the brother of Joe Colombo, the renowned Italian designer known for his work in the 1960s. I had the chance to meet Gianni during a scorching summer in Milan in the early 1990s at the Fac simile gallery. At the time, Gianni was exhibiting his artwork, which focused on creating dynamic sculptures with an unusual interpretation of spaces. One of his pieces even found its way to the prestigious Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City.
Despite having just completed my Bachelor’s in business administration, a field that did not align with my true passions and nature, I never felt truly lost. Deep down, I knew I had dreams and a unique creative force within me that pushed me to pursue a different path.
Gianni played a significant role in changing the trajectory of my life. As the director of the New Fine Arts Academy in Milan, which is now known as NABA, he didn’t push me to join the institution. Instead, he encouraged me to give it a try, explaining that without taking the chance, I would never know what could have been. Despite my lack of artistic talent, with my drawing skills limited to barely being able to sketch a circle freehand, I decided to follow his advice and applied to the academy.
During my time at NABA, I faced challenges, and my younger classmates often made fun of my drawing abilities. However, fueled by determination and passion, I persevered and continued to work hard until I finally succeeded.
My admiration for Gianni Colombo only grew stronger over time. One day, while spending hours at the Facsimile gallery, one of his sculptures hanging from the ceiling unexpectedly came loose. Driven by an impulse to fix it, I hastily grabbed an extendable ladder to reach the sculpture, but I made a crucial mistake – I forgot to secure the ladder. As I climbed, the ladder collapsed, and I accidentally cut another sculpture in half.
I was terrified when Gianni eventually arrived at the gallery, fearing he would be angry or disappointed with my actions. However, to my surprise, he remained calm and reassuring. He simply said, “Don’t worry, it’s just a piece of metal. I can make another one.”
