19/02/2014

 Stanis Dessy was born in Arzana (Nuoro) in1900.

In 1917, after being granted a scolarship of Cagliari City Council, he moved to Rome where he attended the classes of the “Istituto Superiore of Beaux Arts” as well as the courses held by the free local schools.

In 1923, he took part in the Quadriennial Exhibition of Turin and started his collaboration as an illustrator for the Sardinian review "Il Nuraghe", for which he also made the drawing of the first issue. In 1925, Dessy was present at the 3rd Biennial Exhibition of Rome and also had a personale at the Regional Art Exhibition of Cagliari. Furthermore, he learned etching from Felice Melis Marini. In 1926, he settled in Sassari where he came into contact with local artists such as Mario Delitala and Mario Paglietti. He realized a series of landscapes for the Conference Room of the “Palazzo delle Ferrovie” in Cagliari. In 1927, ended the canvas "The Trade" for the “Palazzo Dell'Economia” in Cagliari.

In 1930, he took part in the 2nd International Exhibition of Engraving in Chicago, and one of his xylographs was admitted to the Biennial Exhibition of Venice. By then, the national critics considered him to be one of the protagonists of the "Sardinian school of xylography", and, in September 1933, he got the “diploma d'onore” at the 1^st International Exhibition of Xylography in Varsaw.

In 1934, he ended the decorations of the Cathedral of Alghero, and also decorated the school of Saint Joseph, in Sassari, with abstract patterns. He then worked at the big canvas "Saint Francis preaches to the birds" for the church of Orani (Nuoro); in 1935, he won a prize for xylography, equal with Delitala, at the contests held by the Queen to commemorate the Great War. In 1940, he was present at the Biennial Exhibition of Venice with a personale of his xylographs; in 1949, he made the decorations of the church of the cemetery of Sassari. In 1951, Dessy took part as an engraver in the Biennial Exhibition of Venice; in 1964, he hold a solo show at the Sardinian and Piedmontese Xylography Exhibition in Turin, at “Palazzo Chiablese”.

Stanis Dessy died in Sassari in 1986.