The Artisans

Giovanni Botticelli is a product designer and teacher at the IED Institute, where he graduated in 2009 after studying Product Design. His time at ENSA Limoges and Abate Zanetti Murano refined his design aesthetic, emerging from a meticulous exploration of the delicate and calibrated relationship between light, color, and shape. His first solo exhibition in 2016, EQUILIBRISTA MIRRORS at Swing Design Gallery was followed by a second exhibition, HABITAT, at the same gallery three years later. Based in Rome, his works are exhibited in national and international fairs and cities.

William Faulkner's quote "The past is never dead. It's not even past" brilliantly describes the modernist inspiration behind the brand Icone Design. With over 35-years of experience, the brand brought modernist designs to a wider, increasingly aware commercial public. Looking to the past as a way to the future is a vision also embodied in the brand's contemporary collections, which are distinguished by a balance between art and applied arts that is reflected in every minute detail.

Davide Dessolis lives and works in Mamoiada, a small town in the Sardinian countryside. A master artisan beyond his years, he crafts wooden masks once used in local folklore to scare away evil spirits believed to be responsible for natural disasters. These masks, once worn by Mamuthones - shepherds who gathered in Mamoiada for these anti-evil rituals - are crafted at his workshop, Lumera, with the same patience and attention to detail to preserve a century-old Sardinian tradition.

Otto e Mezzo is the sustainable brand of Marmi Azzolini, an Apulian company that has been a decades-long leader in the marble and stone sectors. Distinguished by a design language that distills luxury and sustainability in equal measure, their collections are handcrafted using precious marbles sourced from oft disused quarries, raw treasures cut and finished into pieces that will elevate any table. The ideal measurement set by the brand is 8.5 cm - hence its name - that will transform any marble scrap to reveal its hidden luxury.

Maria Vittoria Paggini creates limited-edition collections of decor design objects and furniture inspired by contemporary essentialism merged with sublime traditional craftsmanship. Outlined by expressive yet minimalist shapes, her pieces are visually dynamic and texturally soothing. Paggini is driven by a holistic design narrative: “I believe in a living house, one that expresses emotions, one in which colors follow the rhythm of the heart”.

Part of the Pollini Group, Pollini Home seeks to turn the commonplace use of tiles on its head, shifting from using them as mere wall or floor coverings to producing remarkable furniture pieces and home decor accessories. Siblings Marco, Luca, and Emanuela took stock of the brand's rich ceramic heritage - active since the early '90s in the ceramic district of Sassuolo - and modern high-precision technologies to create handmade collections of porcelain stoneware designs of unrivaled quality, class, and beauty.

The creative vision founder and director Elisabetta Buonaiuto sowed the seeds for “The Art and Design Group” to become an internationally-acclaimed brand celebrated for its one-off, functional pieces reflecting the essence of the artist or artisan behind them. Established in 2019, the original designs capture the imagination of their creators and transform that abstract language into artful collections of art designed exclusively for The Art and Design Group to elevate private or commercial spaces.

Renaissance man Federico Pepe is today based in Milan, where, in 2006, he founded Le Dictateur, an editorial project and exhibition space that has served as a collaboration hub with artists Maurizio Cattelan, Patricia Urquiola, and many others. Previously Art Director for international communication agency DLVBBDO, he merges his graphic design, art, and video-making skills in eclectic collections crafted exclusively by hand. The New York MOMA and the London Tate Modern are just two of the prestigious museums that have hosted his artworks.

Trained in set design, Chiara Berta immersed herself in the world of ceramics by chance while working as a decorator in a small workshop. In 1999, she established her own ceramic workshop to continue exploring the medium and art form. Focusing on shapes and silhouettes, she aims at enhancing the singular, poetic character of the irregularities of a handmade piece. She uses different kinds of earthenware to create spectacular objets d’art inspired by great masters.

Creating singular and fascinating rugs brimming with contemporary flair, Caterina Frongia experiments with ancient weaving techniques from the Sardinian crafting tradition to bring her pieces to life. All rugs are entirely handwoven and designed in a modern key that lends them a timeless allure. Each piece is distinguished by exceptional geometric symbols that tell a story.

Italian artist Clara Holt creates magnificent, one-of-a-kind ceramic pieces that feature her original drawings. Clara's work focuses on storytelling, in the ongoing impulse to tell and convey stories, characters and experiences, often inspired by mythology, folk traditions, legends, real or fantastic tales. Each character is transformed into an entirely personal representation, and each work is peppered with hints of her own experience. Clara has exhibited her pieces in Italy and abroad and she currently lives in Milan.

Founded in 2007 in Cava de’ Tirreni, a city on the outskirts of the Amalfi Coast, Mediterranea Design is a multidisciplinary brand whose core mission is building a future where digital technologies and craftsmanship walk hand-in-hand. Guided by high sustainability standards, the brand focuses on proactive research for avant-garde techniques by computation processes, a method revealing artful, tailor-made collections. Stools, dining chairs, and ceramic vases are just some of the designs it presents that embody the special bond between digitalization and artisan mastery.

Bathed by warm copper hues and the sound of a hammer beating an anvil, Navarini Rame is the Navarini family’s museum-workshop based in Ravina, near Trento, Italy. Artisans follow traditional craftsmanship techniques passed down generations, infusing their kitchen and tableware collections with nostalgic charm evoked by the rustic silhouettes. Founded in 1958 by Pierino Navarini, the brand is now in its second generation, guided by the creative direction of his three sons.

Founded in 1978 by Basilio Sanna and his wife Elisabetta, Sartapp specializes in the design and creation of magnificent Sardinian rugs from Samugheo, Sardinia. Spread across three different ateliers across the Sardinian region, artisans deftly interweave a rich, traditional patrimony with a contemporary aesthetic sensibility. Meticulous craftsmanship is revealed in the superb, delicate details that enrich each rug.

Boasting over a century of history and passion, Testi Group is a family-run business that seeks to celebrate marbles and natural stones through meticulous research and innovation. Based in Sant’Ambrogio di Valpolicella, its collections feature singular, first-rate pieces following novel, sustainable procedures rooted in traditional methods. In particular, the Collection Testi Edizioni focuses entirely on sustainability, using recycled materials to create one-off furniture that does not compromise on sophistication.

Founded in 2018, NOT.Ordinary is the brainchild of Ferruccio Laviani and Felice Rizzotti born from the desire to create a design brand whose production is rooted in local Sicilian traditions. Driven by meticulous and thorough research into form and style, NOT.Ordinary embodies high-quality Italian craftsmanship through its collections of traditional Moor’s heads, vases, cabinets and interior decor pieces.

Designer Enrico Girotti embodies artistry in its highest form. Trained in Industrial Design in Venice, his creations capture how technology and creativity ceaselessly interact and influence each other in the creative and production processes. This approach reveals iconic designs that - from ideation to assembly - are carefully studied and detailed. A designer for L'Oreal Paris and Artemide, he established his own brand in 2017 to express his personal design philosophy without creative constraints, constantly experimenting with materials, methods, and shapes.

Harnessing heritage techniques used by great Italian artisans, Estro Collezioni integrates smart technology, lighting, and life-enhancing touches with furniture crafted in the finest Italian-sourced materials. Founded by friends and collaborators Alla Tereshchuk and Paolo Ciacci, Estro Collezioni reflects their vision and passion for fine Italian furniture design and exceptional craftsmanship.

Art courses through the veins of born-and-bred Milanese Alice Corbetta. After pursuing painting at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts, her career took off following a series of original engravings made for the “Lunaria'' book by writer Antonio Mercurio. In the ‘90s she gravitated towards textile design, collaborating with renowned brands in the fashion industry. After several years of curating rug collections, she moved to Tuscany in 2007 to conduct in-depth research on surface and matter. Her experimental pieces are showcased in public and private exhibitions and art galleries.

Raffaella Bandera left a promising career in Economics in 2004 after setting her heart on art and craftsmanship. She began experimenting with resins and silicone rubbers and ultimately focused on pottery for the multi-sensory, tactile experience and versatility offered by the medium. What began as a passion project with one-off pieces and small limited series is now a lifestyle. Bandera’s fresh approach is reflected in the choice of different materials, revealing designs conceived with originality, beauty, and sustainability in mind.