Afro Basaldella, known simply as Afro, was an Italian artist celebrated for his gestural abstract paintings. He was born in Udine, Italy in 1912 and died in 1976. Afro was associated with the Scuola Romana and was known for his abstract paintings that synthesize Western modernism and traditional African systems of control. His work has been exhibited in numerous international biennales and is held in the collections of major museums around the world.