Ugo Riva was born in Bergamo in 1951. From a young age, he developed a strong interest in figurative art, which later gave way to sculpture starting in 1977, to which he has dedicated his intense career. He offers a critical interpretation of contemporary society through works that draw on antiquity, mythology, epic narratives, and a style inspired by Neoclassicism. His famous sculpture, Anima Mundi, the headless angel installed in the central Largo Porta Nuova in Bergamo, conveys the fragile and brief nature of human destiny.

Riva does not delegate the creation of his works to anyone. From the sketch to the finishing touches, he only entrusts the casting process to others. Even the waxes and patinas bear his signature to ensure each piece is a unique masterpiece. His sculptures take shape through a process that is first emotional and then structural. Among his “putative masters” is Michelangelo, not the Michelangelo of the canonical perfection of David, but of the Pietà Rondanini and its incompleteness. The dialogue between contemporary themes and a gaze toward the past is constant. He combines materials like bronze and polychrome terracotta, demonstrating that the creative hand chooses the ideal expressive medium. He does not shy away from forays into other styles and expressive forms, such as drawing, all in service of his exploration of the mysteries of the human soul and the meaning of life.