Maurizio Cattelan (Raised in a working-class family; Father was a truck driver, Mother was a maid)  is one of the most provocative and internationally recognized figures in contemporary art. Often described as a “joker,” “prankster,” or “tragicomedian,” Cattelan’s work challenges the conventions of the art world, religion, and politics through a lens of dark humor, irony, and morbidity.

Completely self-taught and without formal art training, Cattelan began his career in the 1980s designing wooden furniture in Forlì, Italy. He transitioned into conceptual art by staging “pranks” that served as his first exhibitions—such as closing a gallery and hanging a sign that said “Tornerò subito” (I’ll be back soon) or breaking into a neighboring gallery to steal their show and present it as his own.

Cattelan is famous for his hyperrealistic taxidermy and wax sculptures that confront the viewer with unsettling imagery. Among his most controversial works are La Nona Ora (The Ninth Hour, 1999), depicting Pope John Paul II struck down by a meteorite, and Him (2001), a life-sized sculpture of a kneeling, childlike Adolf Hitler in prayer. In 2016, he installed America, a fully functional 18-karat solid gold toilet, in the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, inviting the public to use it.

Perhaps his most viral moment occurred in 2019 at Art Basel Miami Beach with Comedian, a simple banana duct-taped to a wall. The piece sparked a global debate on the nature of art and value when it sold for $120,000. Despite his frequent use of humor, Cattelan’s work often addresses deep-seated human anxieties regarding death, failure, and the weight of history.

Though he “retired” from the art world following his 2011 retrospective at the Guggenheim, he returned to active practice shortly after, continuing to produce works that disrupt public perception and demand critical reflection.

Active in others filds : Magazine Publishing (Co-founder of Toiletpaper and Permanent Food), Curating, Exhibition Design.