His work shows both surrealist and expressionist references. He was self taught and studied architecture in 1970 at the University of Rome. He did some paintings in collaboration with Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat in the 1980s. Since 1982, he has spent his time between Italy, New York City and Madras (now Chennai) in India, where he collaborates with local artists. In 1986, he created the Hanuman Books series with Raymond Foye which is a collection of 48 miniature handmade books featuring American and European poets and philosophers, edited by George Scrivani and printed in Madras. Clemente is a member of American Academy of Arts and Letters. He still regularly works in India and lives in New York with his wife Alba and their four children.