Ron Ferri

Ferri died on June 13, 2019, in the Côte d'Azur at the age of 86.

In 2006, Ferri was commissioned for a worldwide Rolex and Tudor campaign where his art was displayed across buildings, serving as canvases, in select capital cities around the world.

A close friend of Andy Warhol's, Ferri gained fame and prestige in the 1970s. At that time, neon was the predominant material in his original and unpredictable works. In 1983 he chose to change registration, spurred by a visit he made to Japan. "I was traveling with Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn, and designer Issey Miyake invited us to a sumo fight. I was fascinated by the aesthetics of the wrestlers, so huge and with the skin so white that they looked like living porcelain sculptures." Ferri remained in the East for a time, painting a series of paintings with sumo as inspiration.

Beginning in the late 1960s, Ferri began working with materials like neon and plexiglass to create unique works of art and design as well as large scale installations. The neon artworks were widely coveted and his work found an eager audience throughout the 1970s and 80s. In the decades to come, his work continued to evolve and was readily exhibited and collected worldwide.

Ron Ferri (August 19, 1932 – June 13, 2019) was an American contemporary artist. He was a multi-media artist employing materials in both traditional and non-traditional ways, like oil on canvas, ink on paper, collage, with later works exploring the digital realm. He was most known for his neon works from the 60s and 70s.

Born in 1932, Ferri began his career as a professional ice skater, which was cut short when he was called to service in the United States Air Force where he served for five years as a flight navigator with tours in Africa, England, Italy, and Spain. After completing his service, he attended the Rhode Island School of Design, the Rochester Institute of Technology, New York University, and studied under Hans Hofmann at the Academie des Beaux Arts, Paris.