Mauro Balletti is a painter and photographer who owes much of his reputation to the countless album covers he produced for Mina since the early Seventies: a bold creative collaboration which also included the creation of virtual images.

In 1978 Mauro opened his first one man show of his paintings at Galleria D’arte Treves, followed in 1980 by another exhibition at Galleria L’Isola in Milan. He soon began working as a photographer with fashion magazines and in advertising. In 1990 he moved on to directing music videos, scoring two awards at the New York Video Festival in 1990 and 1991, and then tv commercials.

In 1992 the Neve/Radio Verde RAIvideo for Mina features the very first 3D animation entirely produced in Italy. In the same year Mauro scores the Italian advertising award for the best image/packaging of the year with the cover of Mina’s Sorelle Lumiére album.

He directs several tv programs such as “Ladies and Gentlemen” (Telemontecarlo, 1991), “Il corpo” (RAI 3, 1997) and “BLUcasa”  (TELE+, 1998/1999). His short movie “Fasten seat belts”, with actors Benedetta Mazzini and Massimo Popolizio, is selected for the 1996 Venice Film Festival in 1996 and for the 1997 British Short Film Festival.
In 1990 he exhibits his images of Mina in a Milan, at the Galleria Il Diaframma/Kodak in the “Mina nelle fotografie di Mauro Balletti” exhibition. Campanotto Editore publishes the eponymous catalogue. In 1994 his paintings are exhibited at the Museo Nazionale in Villa Pisani, Strà (Venice).
In 1997 the Culture Department of Pietrasanta rpoduces two simultaneous shows with his photographs in the Chiostro di S. Agostino and his paintings in Studio D’Arte La Subbia.

In 2000 another major show of his paintings opens at Galleria Cappelletti in Milan, followed by directing the “Mina in Studio” documentary.In 2010 he shoots for “Style” magazine a series of images inspired by such great painters as Schiele, Caravaggio, Lucian Freud and Klimt.
In 2013 both his photos and paintings are on show in Paris at the Galerie Le Purgatoire. In 2014 another exhibition in Varese, called “L’eleganza del segno”, at Galleria Studio Arteidea.
In 2016 a news solo show opens at Galleria Artespressione in Milan. In the same year Sky Arte Tv broadcasts the documentary “Tra le immagini di Mina. L’Arte di Mauro Balletti”. In 2017 his photos are exhibited in the “Ri.tratto” show at Spazio Kryptos in Milan, followed by a huge retrospective show at Galleria Arte-Moda.
In 2018 Mauro exhibits his paintings and drawings in Rome, at the Teatro India, for the show “Echoes”, while a new paintings show opens at Galleria Artespressione. In the same year “Vogue Italia” publishes a whole issue devoted to Mina with a cover created by Mauro.

To this day his projects always include both painting and photography.