Annina Nosei
Annina Nosei is an Italian-born art dealer and gallerist. Nosei is best known for being Jean-Michel Basquiat’s first art dealer and providing him with studio space in the basement of her gallery. From 1981 to 2006, the Annina Nosei Gallery represented or exhibited work by artists such as Barbara Kruger, Robert Longo, Ghada Amer, and Shirin Neshat.
Early life and education
Annina Nosei was born in Rome, Italy, the daughter of a classics professor. She received doctorates in literature and philosophy from the University of Rome.Career
After graduating in the early 1960s, Nosei worked at Ileana Sonnabend' s Paris gallery. In 1964, Nosei received a Fulbright Program grant and moved to the United States, where she taught at the University of Michigan. She later taught at the University of California, Los Angeles, St. John's University in New York City, and Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn.While teaching at UCLA in 1965, Nosei met art dealer John Weber through artist Robert Rauschenberg. Nosei was married to Weber from 1966 to 1973; they have a daughter named Paolina Weber. Nosei helped organize and install exhibitions at Weber's gallery. In 1979, Nosei began to show and deal art in a loft owned by Larry Gagosian at 421 West Broadway in New York City. She showed work by David Salle, Donald Newman, and Richard Prince.