The Artisans

Documentary photographer Michela Benaglia’s career is marked by unexpected twists and turns. After completing her undergraduate degree in Industrial Design, she embarked on a ten-year-long stint as an Art Director. She then pursued a Master’s in Reportage, allowing her passion to become her full-time job. Documenting scenes of human life, her photographs are exceptionally powerful in narrative and visual impact.

Silia is a luxury brand born in 2011 from the skillful craftsmanship of I&S, a Florentine company with a long tradition in the artisan processing of Plexiglas. Silia’s international acclaim for its luxury furnishings and home decor brought forth important collaborations with renowned designers and architects. Silia’s creative designs are crafted using high-tech machinery and hand-finished by skilled Florentine artisans. The brand’s use of Perspex, a polymethyl methacrylatewith extraordinary optical characteristics, is complemented by precious materials such as ebony, 24K gold, and python leather.

Massimo Siragusa is a professor at the IED of Rome, a photographer, and an editorial director of Phaos Edizioni. He has exhibited his works in the permanent collections of the Vatican Museums and the Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome, among others, and has been published internationally in magazines such as New York Times Magazine, Le Monde, and Marie Claire. He has worked with the most prestigious Italian companies, telling their identity with a singular clean aesthetic.

UNESCO, the Italian Ministry of Cultural Assets and Activities, and the Bangkok Embassy are just a handful of the well-known institutions photographer Luca Capuano has worked with. His projects range from photo essays documenting Italian cultural heritage to shoots and ad campaigns for designer brands such as Artemide, Flos, Piquadro, and Bulgari. His photos have been exhibited at the Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism, Abu Dhabi Nyuad Art Gallery, and Berlin Institut für Architektur, among others. He teaches photography at the Isia Institute of Urbino.

Born in Pescara in 1980, Claudia Ferri views photography as the most sincere lens through which to explore man and places. After many years in Rome, she moved to Milan where she works as a freelancer. Her portraits investigate the physiognomic change from puberty to adolescence, while her contextual photography is focused on how environments change depending on the people who live in them. Gucci, Missoni, Fondazione Prada, Nike, and X Factor are among her clients. Her works were published in Monocle, Konfekt, Esquire, Hunter Magazine, and Vogue, to name a few.

Art runs through the veins of John Mirabel. Born in 1988 in France, he is a half-French, half-American visual artist, musician, and curator based in Milan. Polymorphous best describes his artistic language, ranging from videos to installations. In 2020, he founded “Spazio Bidet”, an artist-run space in Milan, and since 2021 he collaborates with the “Le Domaine Perdu” Gallery, Galera San Soda Art Gallery, and JFS Orchestra. Artists such as Liv Schulman, Daniel Steegman Mangrané, and Tarek Lachrissi count him among their collaborators.

The brainchild of visual artist Martina Zena, ZeNA reflects her open approach to art through home collections whose colorful, handpainted motifs synthesize all the creative influences and sparks that enriched her professional path. Authentic visual codes she describes as concerts, dances, or brushstrokes chasing each other reveal a sense of rhythm that no cup or plate from her collections ever fails to convey. Coherently with its founder’s philosophy, the brand keeps evolving and experimenting with new materials with new shapes and motifs.

Back in 1922, Agatino Maccarrone started handcrafting chairs in a small Sicilian village at the foothills of Mount Etna. His workshop has hosted five generations of cabinet makers, earning the company special recognition for over 20 years of experience in furnishing yachts, private jets, and luxury hotels. Passion, expertise, and technology are at the core of Maccarrone’s philosophy, characteristics that can be recognized and appreciated in every single watch winder, cigar humidor, bar cabinet, or any other fine case, all deftly handcrafted in Tuscany.

A century-old brand producing exceptional household embroidered linens, Jesurum Venezia 1870 was founded in Venice in 1870 by Michelangelo Jesurum. Handmade using the most precious fabrics and artisan techniques, its refined pieces interpret traditional Venetian lace and embroidery with a modern twist. Jesurum collaborates with professionals to create bespoke linens exclusively produced in a limited edition solely for the customer.

Founded by Andrea Ghisoni, studiointervallo is a furniture and interior design firm. Blending clean lines with luminous forms, it offers high-quality furnishings that embody the exclusivity of Italian craftsmanship. Research and innovation seamlessly merge with traditional artisanal methods, resulting in functional and aesthetically valuable furniture pieces. Andrea Ghisoni's vision drives studiointervallo's creative fervor, creating timeless designs that elevate spaces with sophistication and style, reflecting a commitment to excellence and craftsmanship.

Pucci Scafidi is a photographer and photojournalist. Born in Palermo, he has traveled the world for work and to display his photographs in numerous world-renowned exhibitions. He worked in Milan, Tokyo, New York, and Buenos Aires before returning to Italy, realizing that his heart still belonged to his beloved hometown. His photos portray the simplicity yet richness of life in the city and countryside.

A couple in art and in real life, Eleonora Francioni and Antonio Mastromarino have been crafting joint artworks for more than twenty years. The rich cultural roots of their native Pietrasanta, Tuscany inspired them to establish their workshop there to create contemporary art collections. Among their many works is the monumental sculpture of Leonardo Da Vinci presented at the 2019 “Arte per non dormire - Moti dell’anima” exhibit. Their most recent pieces are dedicated to exploring the horizons of women who seek to live their lives out of the box expressed in a Pop art style.

Founded in 2020, Ego Rug is the brainchild of Simon Ebrani, a third-generation Iranian born and raised in Milan. The sister company of SASS Projects, the brand is a leading name in the textile rug market, supported by a talented team that always seeks to utilize new technologies and explore new patterns, dyes, or forms. Tradition inspires its flawlessly hand-tufted, hand-knotted, or machine-made designs - carrying on a precious heritage the brand treasures - all the while staying at the forefront of international design trends.

What started as working on a commission basis for many Italian brands back in 1972 in Deruta (famed majolica district) evolved into a long-term project for the Datteri family when they started selling their products under their own firm Mezzaluna in 1995. As such, Mezzaluna’s trademark is the tireless commitment of in-house designers and artisans to experiment with new techniques for porcelain, wood, crystal, metal, and glass. The brand’s expansive customization options ensure that each piece is tailored to clients’ tastes and decors.

Claudio Campana opened his namesake studio in 2019 after a lengthy training path that led him to master the Scagliola technique. The technique creates a fine plaster used in architecture and sculpture whose mixture of animal glue and natural colors allows a singular and stunning reproduction of marble veinings. Campana’s magnificent works of art are distinguished by vibrant colors and a fluid blend of textures welded into rigid, geometric shapes, merging tradition and modern aesthetic sensibilities.

Painter and architect Paolo De Biasi was born in Feltre, Veneto in 1966 and currently lives and works in Treviso. Painting was a love that emerged later in life for him, his work as an associate in UP3 Studio earning him the chance to debut at the 2012 Venice Biennale. He was introduced to the “Italian Nebrow” artist circle by Ivan Quaroni after reaching the finals at the Premio Celeste. He was awarded the Paolo Parati national painting prize in 2011 and his pieces have been featured at the Prague Biennale and the Italy/China Biennale at the Monza Royal Castle.

A project by INTENTIONS s.r.l, Youmeand produces contemporary furniture and lighting collections merging playfulness and elegance. Its name is a portmanteau of “YOU” (from Eastern philosophy, extending respect to others), “ME” (signifying the self), and “AND” (referring to everything around us). Classic designs are reinvented in a colorful, whimsical aesthetic language actualized through unexpected shapes and optical effects that feed the imagination. Master artisans meticulously craft each piece, ensuring quality and exclusivity in every design.

Starting with founder Mario Frati and now in the hands of his nephew Riccardo and wife Cristiana, three generations of textile entrepreneurs have molded Frati Home into an internationally renowned brand recognized for its fabrics and textile designs. Keeping a sharp eye on trends without ever losing its distinctive artisan know-how, the brand is committed to sustainability, embracing an eco-conscious ethos in every step of the production process to guarantee only the finest, certified fabrics.

The contribution architect Leone Pecchioli and set designer Perla Gianni Falvo brought to the “Made in Sipario Social Cooperative” is captured in the Slow Tile project. Born in 2018 in Florence to create job opportunities for the disabled community while enhancing the importance of slowness when it comes to artisan pottery, the challenging aspect of dealing with the market is further fuel for the project, which embraces sustainability by avoiding surpluses. Slow Tile’s special artists see their efforts and creativity taking shape on one-of-a-kind, durable ceramic pieces.

Matteo Pala’s spectacular rugs and carpets expertly balance tradition and innovation. Inspired by cultures with strong textile craftsmanship traditions such as Turkey, Nepal, India, and Morocco, Pala’s pieces interpret ancient traditions in a sleek modern key using materials carefully selected by the artists over years of research and exploration.