Claude Viallat was born in Nîmes, France, in 1936, and he still lives and works there.
At the beginning of the '60s, he identified a basic pictorial element which is his peculiar and distinctive characteristic still today. His work is mainly characterized by the repetition of the original intuition related to anti-form. This primitive and essential element gets rid of the pictorial experience of subjective expression, thus achieving the neutrality and anonymity of serial production. His canvas covered with imprints create an intense dialogue with color and acquire an unusual lightness thanks to the movable support. His sculptures are connected with waste objects, ropes and nets.

Other than his participation in numerous national and international exhibitions as a member of the Supports/Surfaces group, among Viallat's most important recent presentations, it's worth mentioning his retrospective presented at the Centre Georges Pompidou of Paris in 1982 and his solo room at the Venice Biennial in 1988. In 1997, the Centre Georges Pompidou's collection which includes some of Viallat's works was exhibited at the Contemporary Art Museum of Tokyo. In 1998, the Claude Viallat. Rèpètition exhibition was presented in China, at the Sanghe Museum of Chengdu, at the Kumning Museum of Kumning and at the Donguy Museum of Heping. Still in 1998, Viallat's one-man show was presented at the Centre d’Art Contemporain in Le Cailer. In 1999, he exhibited his works at the Institut Francais in Rabat, Morocco. In 2000, he presented a one-man show at the Musèe d’Art Moderne of Saint Etienne; in 2001, at the Mube Museum of Sao Paulo in Brazil and in 2003, at the Musèe Auguste Chabaud in Graveson, Provence. In 2004, he exhibited his works in Mexico City and in Singapore.

Viallat's relationship with Galleria Fumagalli began in 2003, when many of recent works were exhibited. On that occasion, a monograph was published (a Galleria Fumagalli/Charta co-edition) with texts by Luca Massimo Barbero and Annamaria Maggi.