His prodigious talents developed rapidly and he first made his mark with one-man shows in Rome and London while in his 20s. There were widely acclaimed and led to his first major commission, the murals for the Italian Pavilion at the Brussels World Fair of 1958.

Since then his work has commanded international recognition and there has been a succession of one-man shows in the major cities of Western Europe and North America.

The key to his success derives from the vigor and intensity of his vision, particularly for the Mediterranean landscape and its people. Like the great impressionist painters a century before, his paintings have luminosity combined with a formidable technical strength and a highly original sense of color.

Today the works of Nicola Simbari hang in many parts of the world's most distinguished private collections.