Born 1946 in Firenze, Italy. Painter and sculptor. Studied at Firenze's Art Academy from 1965 to 69. Was based around Rome in the 70s, and moved his base to New York in the 80s. In the 80s, when the trend is said to have moved back towards the figurative, Chia gained recognition as a figure of the transavangarde.

With Enzo Cucchi and Francesco Clemente, used their last initial to create the group 3C. Beginning with Italian tradition from the Renaissance, they revisited the methods of modern painting and created their unique figurative world.