Vasco Bendini was born in Bologna in 1922. At the Academy of Fine Arts his masters were Virgilio Guidi and Giorgio Morandi.

The first evidence of a more autonomous language dates back to the early 1950s, witnessed by a series of papers of extraordinary originality compared to the dominant artistic climate, in which the sign of an abstract nature is combined with traces of a reality evoked by memory.

The first solo exhibition in which these works were presented dates back to 1953, at the La Torre gallery in Florence. The introduction is by Francesco Arcangeli: this was the start of an association, not without its moments of intellectual friction, destined to last until the 1970s. In the works realised in these years, one of the central themes is undoubtedly that of the face, interpreted by Bendini in the key of archetype, of universal figure, which can also reach that limit of abstraction to which the artist is constantly led. In the course of the 1950s Bendini gained his first acknowledgements from the most discerning critics, who saw in him one of the most original interpreters of Informal poetics. In the summer of 1960, the first monograph on the artist was published, edited by Andrea Emiliani. In this new decade, from 1960 until '63, Bendini developed his poetics with a greater adherence to existential themes. These experiences were represented in various personal exhibitions: at the Galleria del Milione in Milan (with an introduction by Francesco Arcangeli (1958); at L'Attico in Rome (1959); and then again, still at L'Attico, in 1961, 1963, at the Apollinaire in Milan (1961) and at Mc Roberts & Tunnard in London (1963).

He was present in 1956, with some works, at the XXVIII Venice Biennale where he had a personal room in 1964 and 1972, respectively for the XXXII and XXXVI editions. At the end of the 1950s, he participated in the VIII Quadriennale in Rome and other important group exhibitions such as the São Paulo Biennial in Brazil in 1961 and the Tokyo Biennial in 1962. This work found valuable critical recognition in the exhibition L'informale in Italia fino al 1957 [The Informal in Italy up to 1957], curated by Maurizio Calvesi in Livorno in 1963.

1965 saw the start of the Sentimento come storia [Feeling as history] and Senso operante [Operating sense] series, in which a search for new expressive techniques began, and in early 1966, became evident in a solo exhibition at L'Attico in Rome, presented by Giulio Carlo Argan. A deepening of these themes will be defined with the abandonment of the canvas surface as of 1966. The elements of the new works will be taken directly from reality, in singular proximity to the later poverist poetics. The first works Com'è [How it is] and Senso operante [Operating sense] were exhibited in Venice on 7 September 1966 in the Sala degli Specchi at Ca' Giustinian, San Marco. This activity, centred on the verification of a code of archetypal and intersubjective communication, was to end on the morning of 17 January 1969, the day after Palach's death, in the hall of the Museo Civico in Bologna, with the personal action Io. E io ora [Me. And me now] where the painter's body became the protagonist.

At the same time, Francesco Arcangeli continued his work, presenting Bendini's new research in a solo exhibition at Studio Bentivoglio in Bologna in 1967. Subsequently Argan, together with Calvesi, presented the exhibition Oggetti e processi [Objects and Processes] at the Inarch headquarters in Rome (1968).

His subsequent work, exemplified by a number of works in the Hall of the 1972 Venice Biennial, further explored new hypotheses tending to reconvey the artistic gesture in the virtual space of the canvas and to return the mobility and spontaneous richness of existential behaviour to the different duration of the work. In 1973, the year of his move to Rome, are the major exhibitions at the Institute of Art History of the University of Parma and at the Sala Comunale in Alessandria, followed by the personal exhibition at the Galleria Pietra in Milan, presented by Giovanni Castagnoli. These were followed by those at the Museum of Modern Art in Saarbrucken (1976) and at the Galleria d'Arte Moderna in Bologna, with texts by Renato Barilli and Sandro Sproccati (1978).

In the works of the 1980s and 1990s, Bendini implemented an accomplished and disenchanted re-examination of his entire operative existential story, which recalls both the dazzling intuitions of the 1950s, sharp and essential, and the object and behavioural complexity of the 1960s. The first exegete of this new path was Emilio Villa, who presented it at L'Attico in 1980. In 1984, Gino Baratta and Francesco Bartoli set up a large anthological exhibition at the Casa del Mantegna in Mantua and, in 1989, Fabrizio D'Amico curated an important review of works from the 1950s and 1980s at the Padiglione d'Arte Contemporanea in Milan. Also in 1989, and in the city of Verona, the anthological exhibition at Palazzo Forti, curated by Giorgio Cortenova, and the one-man show at Galleria La Giarina, curated by Cesare Vivaldi, are noteworthy.

In 1992 considerable importance was given to his work with the triple exhibition at the Galleria Civica di Modena, the Galleria d'Arte Moderna di Bologna and the Galleria Civica di Trento (texts by Flaminio Gualdoni, Danilo Eccher and Walter Guadagnini). In 1994, the FAO in Rome acquired one of his works, Il ciclo della natura, a large work (eight metres by two) permanently exhibited in Pavilion A of its headquarters. Two large solo exhibitions were inaugurated in 1996: the first at the Loggetta Lombardesca in Ravenna and the second, with only lithographic works, at the Istituto Nazionale per la Grafica in Rome. In 1997, Roberto Pasini re-proposed the importance of the artist in the 1950s at the Arte 92 Gallery in Milan, after having, already in 1995, amply justified the weight of those years in his text L'informale. Stati Uniti, Europa, Italia [The Informal. United States, Europe, Italy], CLUEB editions, Bologna. Important anthological exhibitions were inaugurated at the Museo Laboratorio di Arte Contemporanea of La Sapienza University, Rome, curated by Maurizio Calvesi (1998); at Palazzo Sarcinelli, Conegliano, with texts by Walter Guadagnini, Marco Goldin and Rosalba Zuccaro (1999); and finally at Castello di Masnago, Varese (2001).

Since 1999 he has lived and worked between Parma and Rome.

In 2000 he was among the artists chosen by Calvesi for the major exhibition Novecento, arte e storia in Italia [20th century art and history in Italy], at the Scuderie Papali al Quirinale, Rome.

Two of his works appear in the exhibition La pittura degli anni Cinquanta in Italia [Painting in the 1950s in Italy] held at the Galleria d'Arte Moderna in Turin (May-June 2003), becoming part of the permanent acquisitions at the same Turin gallery. Also in 2003, an extensive anthological exhibition was inaugurated at the Lissone Museum, curated by Gualdoni, and a personal exhibition at the Bocchi Museum in Parma, curated by Ivo Iori, with an essay by Giampiero Moretti. In autumn 2005, recent works were presented at the Galleria de' Foscherari in Bologna.

2006 was a busy year: in March 2006 he participated, with four works from the early 1950s, in the exhibition Dal Romanticismo all'Informale - omaggio a Francesco Arcangeli [From Romanticism to Informalism - homage to Francesco Arcangeli], curated by Claudio Spadoni, at the Museo d'Arte in Ravenna; in April he inaugurated his solo exhibition at the Spaziosenzatitolo cultural association with an introductory essay by Massimo Arioli; In June, he was invited by Gabriele Simongini to the exhibition Astrattismo italiano 1910-1970 [Italian Abstractionism 1910-1970], held at the Museo Archelogico Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Chieti; in July, he exhibited works from the 1950s in the group show Una natura altra [A different nature] set up by Sergio Troisi at the Convento del Carmine in Marsala (Trapani). In September, Gabriele Simongini again curated the anthological exhibition entitled L'immagine accolta [The accepted image] presenting works ranging from 1951 to 2006 at the Casa d'arte Ulisse gallery in Rome. The exhibition catalogue is accompanied by a monographic essay by Edoardo Piersensini entitled Fra il nulla e l'infinito [Between Nothingness and Infinity]. In October, Giorgio Cortenova introduced another anthological exhibition, Il respiro della materia [The Breath of Matter], held at the La Giarina gallery in Verona, in the catalogue.

In 2007 Bendini set up an extensive anthological exhibition from 1950 to 2006 at the Frittelli arte contemporanea, Florence (curated by Maurizio Calvesi), and took part in the travelling exhibition Viaggio nell'arte italiana 1950-80. Cento opere dalla Collezione Farnesina [Journey through Italian Art 1950-80.One Hundred Works from the Farnesina Collection].
In 2008, he presented the polyptych Malìa dell'enigma [Enigma Sickness] at the Galleria Niccoli in Parma curated by Bruno Corà, and at the Frittelli arte contemporanea in Florence, he presented a large series of new works gathered under the title LuceLenta [SlowLight], an exhibition and catalogue curated by Tommaso Trini. Elected Accademico di San Luca in Rome, he took part in an exhibition on contemporary drawing held at the Academy itself and in the collective exhibition Una certa idea della pittura [A certain idea of painting] at Palazzo Trentini, Trento.

In 2009, he took part in Monocromo [Monochrome] at the Convento del Carmine in Marsala and in the historical exhibition of the 60th Michetti Prize, Francavilla al Mare; he also held a solo exhibition with works on paper from 1966 to 1973 at the Il Triangolo Nero gallery, Alessandria, and another of drawings from 1979 at the Associazione SenzaTitolo, Rome.

In 2010, he presented historical works in Parma and Milan, respectively at the Palazzo del Governatore in Parma (Nove100, curated by Quintavalle and Bianchino) and at the Rotonda di Via Besana, Milan (Il grande gioco [The big game], curated by Corà), while a series of works on paper from 1964-1974 was the subject of a solo exhibition at Il Triangolo Nero, Alessandria and a series of canvases from 2009 and 2010 of a solo exhibition Il tempo, la luce [Time, light], at Renata Bianconi, Milan curated by Flaminio Gualdoni.

November sees the publication of Ezio Raimondi's book La stagione di un recensore [The season of a reviewer] with a collage on the cover and 18 colour plates by Vasco Bendini (MUP editions, Parma, with presentation by Ivo Iori and Andrea Menetti).

In 2011, within the 61st International Art Exhibition Premio G.B. Salvi in Sassoferrato, he exhibited his works in the personal exhibition La pittura come soffio vitale [Painting as a breath of life].

In 2013, an important exhibition was dedicated to him at the Macro in Rome to celebrate his 91st birthday: Vasco Bendini. 1966-67. The exhibition, curated by Gabriele Simongini, unfolds through a selection of works created in just two crucial years for Italian art and for the artist's career.

In 2015, his works were presented at the RH Contemporary Art Gallery in New York, Vasco Bendini. Traces of dreams, and at Galleria La Six in Milan, Vasco Bendini: Anni '50 [Vasco Bendini: 1950s].