The Artisans

Born in 1970 in Mazzarino, Sicily, sculptor Angelo Salemi’s roots in his uncle’s smithy were the seed for his passion for art to grow. After years of experimentation with various mediums, from sculpture to painting, he opened his own workshop in 1997 in his hometown, where he still lives and works today. Throughout his 25-year-long career, Salemi has made the combination of classic and modern references the cornerstone of his aesthetic. His pieces have earned him acclaim both in Italy and abroad, and are featured in famous cities, such as two busts in Beijing and Hangzhou.

Created by architects Paolo d’Alessandro and Marco Malgarini, dAM Atelier is an innovative brand renowned for its minimalist aesthetic approach to furniture design. Pure and timeless, their design ethos embraces the continuous, iterative process of adding and subtracting information, one that combines different and contrasting raw elements into unexpectedly harmonious, modular compositions of bold geometric and architectural value.

In Casa by Paboy is a homeware social enterprise based in Naples, Italy. Born in Serrekunda, the Gambia, Paboy Bojang learned the secrets of weaving from his uncle as a child. Living under a brutal dictatorship, Bojang left home in search of a future, arriving in Italy in July 2015 after a harrowing two-year journey. Frustrated by the lockdown, in 2020 he began crafting cushion covers using repurposed fabrics and an old sewing machine. A year later, he now employs fellow migrants and hopes to be a torchbearer for others to escape exploitative labor and build bright futures.

Sara Forte is a Milan-based, self-taught artist renowned for the eclectic character of her art, drawing upon her research into various mediums, from graphite drawing and etching to oil painting. Balancing shapes, colors, tradition, and innovation, she has worked with Murano glassmakers and goldsmiths to create pieces decorated with her paintings. Currently, she uses Silicon discs as a canvas for her works. Used to create tech appliances, silicon is a symbolic embodiment of the evolution of communication and represents the synthesis of the complexity of postmodern life.

Inveloveritas - a play on words mixing Latin and Italian idioms meaning “truth in veil” - is a cutting-edge fashion brand that reinterprets traditional Sardinian patterns in a modern way. Based in Cagliari and collaborating with local artisans, designers Giuseppe Scalas and Maria Francesca Maniga craft textile collections drawing on his digital and freehand designs and her handpainted, stylized female silhouettes. Digital embroideries, silk-screen prints, and hand-painted subjects inspired by Sardinian culture blend tradition and innovation, the signature trait of the brand.

With an artistic path originating in dance and theatre, Stella Battaglia went on to study sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence. She delved into perspective and anamorphosis, focusing on optical distortions in sculpture (2D-3D). Her dynamic approach is reflected in the choice of materials and mediums in her collections, from traditional art to modern video installations. Her pieces have been showcased at museums the likes of the Museo Galileo, the Uffizi Gallery, at the Galerie BOA in Paris, and she collaborated with the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Florence.

Vaporetto is a project created in 2019 by Enrico Trabacchin, a Venetian entrepreneur with a deep passion for art, in collaboration with expert Murano glassmakers Ballarin brothers. Vaporetto creates limited-edition collections showcasing first-rate designs handcrafted in flame-worked borosilicate glass. Featuring decorative pieces, vases, and glasses, its collections celebrate century-old Venetian glassmaking without compromising on tradition or elegance.

Brainchild of Italian-based husband-and-wife duo Shilpa Srinivas and Paolo Ciacci, Stone Stackers is a young brand wedded to the ethics of sustainability through its singular marble collections. Their partnership with renowned marble company Simeg Marmi gives artists access to discarded marble chunks, which are creatively reused and reassembled in artful designs coupling exceptional functionality and seductive aesthetics. The freedom intrinsic to the crafting process is embodied in every single piece, which is unrivaled in its execution and will withstand the test of time.

Maria Giuliana Collu, a master of formal abstraction and textured glazes, creates ceramics that blend art and craftsmanship. Her work, inspired by nature’s forms—waves, shells, fiery stones, and arid terrains—is crafted entirely by hand. Starting with clay slabs, she shapes each piece manually, adding intricate textures and details. Her mastery of glazes, applied with painterly precision, results in surfaces of remarkable depth and beauty. Originating from Assemini, her journey began in her family’s workshop, evolving through artistic exploration to achieve recognition at national and international exhibitions.

The brainchild of Sergio Sassolini, Omnibus Design is a well-established, Florentine furniture company founded after years spent working with and learning secrets from his carpenter father. Specialized in furniture emphasizing and celebrating the natural beauty of wood, over the years the company has chosen to collaborate with influential designers and architects to provide clients with singular custom-made products. Experimentation with new materials paired with excellent craftsmanship nourishes the brand and its creative vision.

A small workshop based in the heart of Florence, NIVA Design was founded in 2018 with the aim of understanding and reinterpreting interior design in an innovative, singular way. The studio is located in a house with a peculiar structure that inspires the collections of door handles, knobs, wallpapers, mirrors, and other products that capture the timeless synthesis of sculpture, fantasy, and the natural world.

Master glassmaker Paolo Zornetta established Specchi Veneziani in Mira, near Venice, where he crafts superb pieces using ancient glass-making techniques handed down generations. The artisan workshop is specialized in prized mirror designs, enchanting in their assortment of shapes and colors for the crystal and the etched detailing and finishes, celebrating authentic Venetian tradition. From designs in impeccable classic style to pieces with a fresh modern personality, each object crafted by Paolo Zornetta captures glass-making artistry and history.

Described by words such as “art”, “design”, and “uniqueness”, Emmemobili has a five-generation long history in the furniture manufacturing industry, creating sublime design pieces with prized wooden essences combined with marble, metal, leathers, and fabrics. Deftly handcrafted by master artisans, its pieces explore the intriguing growth of the brand which focuses its attention on creating a singular aesthetic that transcends the functional quality of the objects themselves.

Established in the ‘60s in Samugheo and taken over by Marcella and Daniela Sanna in 2004, Tessile Medusa boasts a rich production of rugs, curtains, tablecloths, and upholstery fabrics. The development of mechanical weaving techniques alongside traditional, manual ones allowed the brand to improve production while remaining faithful to the local traditions kept alive by the master weavers. The designs - inspired by blooming gardens, emerald waters, and tones of an authentic, rural Sardinia - reinterpret ancient patterns with a refined modern sensibility.

Italian painter and ceramist Mirkò is renowned for his novel interpretation of Cubism marked by modernist and classic influences. Particularly inspired by Dutch artist Frans Brugman, Mirkò uses ceramic and paint to develop historical, mythological, religious, and natural subjects, specifically that of the Amalfi Coast where he lives and works. Protagonist of various international exhibitions, his singular style makes him one of the foremost exponents of Italian contemporary art.

Italian-Colombian ceramic artist Martha Pachón Rodríguez began her career as a professor of Art Education and Sculpture & Design at the “Surcolombiana” University in Colombia. After graduating from the Art Institute for Ceramics in Faenza, she embarked on several creative projects, from sculptural pieces juxtaposing sleek porcelain with sharp repeated shapes and jarring colors, to complex architectural installations and fine porcelain jewelry. Recipient of several prestigious awards, she is currently Art Director of FACC Faenza Art Ceramic Center, and leads the MPR STUDIO.

Founded in Bergamo in 2020, Rampinelli Edizioni is a furniture brand that combines the creativity of Sovrappensiero Design Studio and the know-how and technical expertise of Rampinelli S.p.A., a leader in metalworking manufacturing since 1913. Engineer Gabriele Rampinelli is at the helm of this new brand, whose first collection of steel furniture is inspired by geometric solids, archetypal forms that showcase an impressive functional architecture, captivating aesthetic, and a palette that recalls the colors of industrial machinery.

After a successful career with leading brands worldwide, Marina Cighir returned to Treviso to embark on a new adventure. From sculptural vases to decor lighting and chandeliers, Marina seamlessly fuses Venetian craftsmanship with modern poetry, reflecting Italy's rich artisanal tradition. Embracing "slow design," each creation emerges from meaningful collaborations with local artisans, blending diverse heritage. Curved-blown glass, hammered brass and provocative marble stones lose their natural hardness to become statement décor objects.

Founded in 2007 in the heart of the Udine chair district, Chairs & More’s original furnishings stand out for their workmanship and trademark contemporary style. Traditional materials and techniques merge with innovative solutions in the name of timeless aesthetic, premium quality, and maximum comfort. Countless customization and modulation possibilities earned the brand international recognition, leading to winning collections created in collaboration with talented national and international designers.

A sublime union of Mesoamerican symbolism and Italian ceramic tradition, Zuma Ceramiche is the brainchild of Salerno-born ceramist Lucia Carpentieri. Carpentieri was exposed to painting and ceramics as a child in her mentor-father’s workshop; over the years, she’s worked on fresco restorations and wall decorations in homes and public places all the while experimenting with her personal aesthetic. In 2009, she opened Zuma Ceramiche in Avellino’s historic district and then moved to Vietri, where she creates pieces, from plates to jewelry, whose elegance sublimates their ordinary nature.