Ruggero Alfredo Michahelles, known as RAM, was born in Florence on May 3rd 1898 into a cosmopolitan and well-to-do family, descendant of the famous American neo-classical sculptor Hiram Powers. From about the age of 15 he showed a great interest in painting, and attended, without his father's knowledge, the studios of Prof. Marfori-Savini and the painter Julius Rohlsoven.  In 1914 he started exhibiting his works (portraits, Tuscan landscapes, water colours, stage sets, sculpture and engravings) in Florence and other Italian cities.

1920 was an important year for Ruggero Michahelles with the creation and promotion of the "tuta", or universal overall, a Futurist form of clothing done in collaboration with his brother Ernesto.

In 1923 he graduated from Florence University with a degree in chemistry.  In this period he took part in the artistic life of Florence, in the organisation of the " Ia Corporazione di Belle Arti" and the "Il Sindacato delle Arti". Two years later he won, together with his brother Ernesto, the national competition: "Premio Nazionale dell'Italica", in recognition of their new stage sets for the production of Verdi's Aida.  He became part of the futurist group "Gruppo Toscano Futurista", taking part in Futurist Exhibitions and assuming the professional pseudonym of RAM.

From 1925 through to 1931, he worked for the publication "Illustrazione Toscana" and from 1926 began a long cooperation with the journals "Rivista Illustrata del Popolo d'Italia" and "Natura" for which he produced illustrations and front covers. He also worked for the Ministry of Tourism, designing publicity and advertising posters as well as assisting in the production of the "Mostre dell'Artigianato e dell'Agricoltura" (Exhibition of Applied Arts and Agriculture).  During this period, on the advice of his friend Giorgio De Chirico, he began to use the professional pseudonym "MICAELLES".

1927 was an important year for RAM, finding himself in Paris surrounded by the  company of such artists as Alberto Magnelli, Giorgio De Chirico, Massimo Campigli, Mario Tozzi, Marino Marini, Arturo Loira, Maurice Denis, Otton Friez, Carlo Carrà, Zadkin, De Pisis, Massimo Campigli, Mirò, Fernand Léger, Alberto Savinio, Kisling, Jacovleff, Bakst, Massine, Serg Lifar, San Lazzaro, Borsi, Ezra Pound, etc. It was in this atmosphere that he matured his metaphysically inspired style of modernity with its unusual Classical reference.

In 1928, he held his first personal exhibition in Florence in the Palazzo Feroni, and same year was invited to the XVI Biennale di Venezia where his painting "Il cipresso della strada" was exhibited.  As a sculptor he appeared at the IV Mostra Regionale d'Arte Toscana in 1930, and later that year presented the "Madre Solare" in terracotta at the XVII Biennale di Venezia. That same year RAM married Olga Oulsufieff, of Russian nobility, in Florence. They were divorced in 1939.

In 1931 RAM participated in the competition in Rome for Metro Goldwyn-Mayer of the "Quadriga" or the Chariot Race in Ben Hur and also presented works at the Prima Quadriennale di Roma. Together with his brother Ernesto (THAYAHT) he prepared a document on “Functional Architecture"- Brevetto per Casolaria - Le Case in Serie - "Casa d'oggi", "Casa minima", "Casa media".  Again in the same year, at the Florence exhibition organised by Antonio Marasco and his brother Ernesto he presented "Madre Natura", a bronze of 1929, and three paintings:  "Il Varo", "Idroscalo", "Piroscafo".

During this period through to 1938, RAM worked on a series of artworks defined as "neo-metaphysical". He continued to enter works in various Futuristic exhibitions including the 1932 exhibition in Milan: Mostra Futurista di Aereopittura e di Scenografia. (Aeropainting and Stage sets exhibit). 1932 was also the year that together with his brother Thayaht he drew up the "Manifesto" or document on the transformation of male dress.

The sculpture "La Quadriga", presented for the Metro Goldwyn Mayer competition for the launch of the film 'Ben Hur', was awarded the third prize.  This same work of art was presented at the competition: "Celebrazione del decennale della Marcia su Roma", and put on display at the next Biennale di Venezia.

In 1933 he presented a model in wood of the architectural sculpture "La Stele Ferroviaria"   for the "Concorso Nazionale della Stazione di Firenze" (a project by the Florentine urban architect Bianchini-Fagnoni). The sculpture was intended to be erected in the Piazza in front of the Station.  The same year he participated in the exhibition in the Palazzo Ferroni in Florence of "Arte Sacra Futurista" organised by Fillia/Marasca, where the following works were presented: "La vittoria del Fascismo", the sculpture "Madre Natura", the bronze project "Monumento al Marinaio" and the paintings "Stormo" (aereopittura) and "Inseguimento".

In 1934 RAM presented works at the "Mostra d'Arte Toscana" in Florence; in 1935 at the II Quadriennale di Roma he displayed the work "I figli della Lupa"; and in Milan at the Exhibition "Mostra Futurista di Aereopittura" he presented the work "Volo".

In 1936 at the XX Biennale di Venezia, RAM exhibited his bronze "Il Duce"  (l'Uomo XIV -1936). That year in Paris at the " Galerie d'Art Le Niveau of Nemont Blvd. RAM held a personal exhibition with a presentation by Giorgio De Chirico. In 1937 he won the  "Prix Paul Guillaume" . From this point, a long period began in which the artist alternated frequent trips between Paris and Florence.  Unfortunately the works of this Parisian period were destroyed or stolen during the German Occupation in WWII., as were many works, about 150, destroyed in Florence during a bombing.
At the end of the conflicts of that period, he continued in his artistic research in solitude and retirement. This period is represented in the figures of his "saltimbanchi" (mime actors), recalling his days of youth in the Maremma district of Tuscany when the artist was in contact with the families of the "saltimbanchi" and their theatres.

In 1947 he had a personal exhibition at the "Galleria d'Arte Sandri di Venezia" presented by his friend Gianni Vagnetti.

In 1952 he was married for the second time, to Amelia Pietrini with whom he had two children: Riccardo born in 1959, and Sandro in 1964.

From 1959 through to 1973, he produced an important series of nudes, uniquely  characterised by the use of only two colours and related shades (white-blue or pink-blue). 

In 1968,  he held his last personal exhibition in the Galleria Michelangelo in Florence.

RAM died in Florence in 1976.