Francesco Clemente was born in 1952 in Naples, Italy. He went to Rome to study architecture, where he met friend and mentor Alighiero Boetti who encouraged a career in art.

Clemente is considered to be one of the leaders of neo-expressionism. He is greatly influenced by mysticism, traditional art and the culture of India. His subjects––particularly the female form and his own image––explore themes surrounding eroticism, myth, and spirituality, with non-western symbols characterizing his dream-like work. ‘Love’ depicts two mirrored figures with cloud shaped heads, each contemplating the reflection of their own selves in the other, exploring the idea of self-admiration.

His work is shown and collected by major institutions including the Guggenheim Museum in New York and Bilbao, MoMA, New York, and Tate Modern, London.