As a member of the Italian Transvanguardia movement of the 1970s and 1980s, Sandro Chia is perhaps best known for his neo-expressionist paintings and sculptures, in which he considers the figurative through dynamic compositions using line and color.
In his expressive paintings, Sandro Chia celebrates human sensuality, vitality and relationship with nature. Drawing on the culture and imagery of art history, particularly the Italian Renaissance and Futurism, he depicts stories of eroticism, melancholy and death, often with historical references. Chia's protagonists are heroic, larger-than-life male figures imbued with an enigmatic sense of mission, perhaps manifestations of his own identity. He paints with strong brushstrokes in vibrant colors that energize the entire surface.

"I'm perennially interested in mankind, in the human shape, in landscape: Classical themes that have been in art since the beginning of time. I think they are always relevant to explore, especially as a painter. By virtue of his medium, the painter takes art history on his shoulders, no matter his subject matter."
- Sandro Chia