An art teacher, painter and poet who participated later in Futurism, creating pictorial depiction of light, movement and speed.

Born in Turin, he studied art at local academies and exhibited several of his early works. After working in Rome for several years as an illustrator and caricaturist, in 1899 his work was shown at the Venice Biennale, and in the ensuing years his art was on display at major exhibitions across Europe. Around 1902, he taught Divisionist techniques to Umberto Boccioni and Gino Severini and, influenced by the poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, adopted the Futurism style. He was signatory to the Futurist Manifesto in 1910 and began designing and painting Futurist furniture and clothing. In 1914, he also began sculpting and the following year created the well-known sculpture, Boccioni's Fist.

During WWI, his studio became the meeting place for young artists. By the end of the war, the Futurist movement showed signs of decline.