Gabrielle Pizzi

Gabrielle Pizzi (1940 – 5 December 2004), born Gabrielle Wren, was an Australian art dealer who promoted Aboriginal art from the Western Desert from the early 1980s. She created the Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi in Melbourne in 1987.

In 1990, Gabrielle Pizzi took contemporary Aboriginal art, including that of Anatjari Tjakamarra, to the Venice Biennale and to Madrid. Pizzi curated 11 Contemporary Aboriginal Artists for the 1990 Australian Pavilion.

Early life Born Gabrielle Wren in Sydney, she moved to Hobart when she was five years old. Later she moved to Melbourne as a teenager. She was the daughter of Norah and Anthony Wren; her father was one of the eight children of John Wren.

Career Pizzi created Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi in 1987 in Flinders Lane, Melbourne, showing Western Desert art from Papunya Tula and Yuendumu. She held exhibitions there every three weeks for around 20 years. She brought the work of artists such as Ronnie Tjampitjinpa, Mick Namarari Tjapaltjarri and Emily Kame Kngwarreye to the world, showing Aboriginal art in exhibitions in Venice, Bangalore, Moscow, and Jerusalem. She also showed artists from Maningrida, including John Mawurndjul, James Iyuna and Jimmy An.gunguna.

Pizzi donated 21 works of Aboriginal art and fashion to the National Gallery of Victoria.