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Ugo Riva was born in Bergamo in 1951.
His first love in art was painting, while he was still working as a bank employee. When this passion overwhelmed him, he quit and started following his true dream, becoming a sculptor. He has now become a succesfull and well-known artist who loves to experiment and continuously uses new techniques. His most recent creations are the glazed terracottas, lightly coloured.

But mostly Ugo Riva likes to work in the foundry, with bronze, his favourite material to create art.
His creative act never dies in simply producing a model, but he also casts his sculptures, following the process entirely.
The foundry is the workshop in which he spends the day, working and experimenting. His unique patina treatment given to his bronzes is obtained with pigments, the same used in the frescos, fixed on the surface at very high temperatures. The final cromatic effect swings from wood to terracotta.
The protagonists are timeless figures, solemn and imperturbable gods, reminding us of those roman or etruscan divinities, yet incredibly modern in their classical style.

The exclusive park of the Four Seasons Hotel hosting ugo Riva's masterpieces has become an open-air museum and the green secular trees exhalt to the maximum level the statues surrounding the environment. The exhibition continues inside the Hotel with some other smaller beautiful terracotta statues.

A theme to which Master Riva is particularly devoted is that of Angels, half earthly and half heavenly creatures.
At the main entrance of the Vittoriale Museum, one of the most important contemporary italian museums near Grandone Riviera, two gigantic angel figures stand out in the green and blue background.
They look imponent and protective; one is a man angel, more physical and massive, while the second is a woman, more elegant and sophisticated.
They have the classical plasticity of Ugo Riva's bodies, inspired by greek statues, but then dressed up in refined draperies.
They look motionless, immobile, but all of a sudden they may move in an act of defense or protection and tenderness.

The sketch of this statue, entitled " when eyes cannot see only angels can guide you trough", can be seen from one of the Frilli Gallery windows and captures the attention of the people passing by, emanating a sense of peace. They are a couple and they simbolise the safeguard protectors of the house. Riva's message sets straight to the heart.