Born in Turin, Italy, on 20 December 1929, Riccardo Licata lived with his family for a short period in Paris, before they moved to Rome, where he remained until 1945. Since 1946, he lived in Venice and Paris as well. In 1951 he had his first solo exhibition in Venice. After his schooling and his studies at the Venice Academy of Fine Arts, he received a scholarship in 1957 from the French government to experiment with colour engraving and new techniques. In the same year, he became Gino Severini’s assistant at the École d’Art Italienne in Paris, beginning an impressive career as a teacher. In 1961 he started to teach at the Atelier de mosaïque in the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he teached until 1995. In 1969 he became Professor at Sorbonne and at the Academy of Henri Goetz as well. From 1972 until 1992, he was Professor at the École Internationale de la gravure expérimentale in Venice and at the École Américaine d'Architecture in Fontainebleau. He died in Venice on 19 February 2014.
As painter, engraver, mosaicist, sculptor and set designer, he participated in the Biennial of Venice, Sao Paolo, Tokyo, Paris, Alexandria in Egypt, as well as in the Rome Quadrennial and the Milano Triennial. He had many solo exhibitions both in Italy and worldwide. Of particular importance are his big 1990 travelling exhibition in Spain curated by Enzo di Martino and his retrospective exhibition at Venice in the Palazzo Ca’Pesaro. His diverse works of art, which are particularly inspired by music, can be found in museums all over the world.
