Fausto Melotti was born in Rovereto in 1901 and spent his childhood in Florence. In 1918 he enrolled at the University of Pisa to study Physics and Mathematics, and in 1924 he graduated in Electronic Engineering from the University of Milan. During these years Melotti often visited his hometown, whose cultural atmosphere was in full swing; Melotti was frequently in contact with the theorist Carlo Belli, the architect Pollini and the futuristic artist Depero. At the same time, he continued his piano studies, becoming an accomplished musician. In 1928 he enrolled at the Brera Academy, in Milan, and met Lucio Fontan. With him he developed a close friendship. Shortly afterwards, he decided to dedicate himself fully to sculpture and began to work with monochromatic reliefs. Melotti researched with a wide variety of materials, including wood, wire, plaster and ceramics. He is known for his enigmatic and convincing sculptures. His symbolic forms express what has been described by some critics as inner realms of human experience.

Fausto Melotti received multiple awards and recognitions throughout his life, including the Gold Medal at the Munich International Exhibition and the Rembrandt Prize from the Goethe Foundation, Basel.  The National Academy of St. Lucy in Rome named him academic in 1982. Numerous retrospective exhibitions of his work have been held, including at the Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna in Turin in 1972, at the Palazzo Reale in Milan in 1979 and at the Forte de Belvedere in Florence, in 1981. Fausto Melotti died in 1986, in Milan. The day after his death the Venice Biennale opened a major solo exhibition dedicated to his work and the Biennale awarded him posthumously with the Leone d’Oro.