The Artisans

I Cocci di Maria Giuliana Collu is an artistic ceramic workshop based in the city of Selargius in Sardinia founded by Giuliana Collu. Often collaborating with architects and interior designers, she creates handcrafted pieces of decor using only a dough sheeter and a hand-drawn template. Collu’s creations combine the passion for clay and for her homeland, describing the history and beauty through archaic symbols, the sea’s vibrant blue hues, and the fascinating textures of nature. Entirely molded by hand by using clays in different shades of colors and enamels.

Rome-born artist Silvia Garau creates magnificent clay sculptures that can be touched and even, at times, worn. Exclusively working with clay since 2018, Garau merges emotions with technique, art with design, to deliver a singular aesthetic and tactile experience rooted in movement and sensuality. Guided by her mentors and inspired by her many travels, every piece embodies her intuitive creative process, starting out as a shapeless piece of clay to becoming a timeless objet d’art.

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.

Driven by passion and a rich family tradition, Cristina Busnelli is a skilled weaver and textile designer. Weaving entirely by hand on a loom, she creates singular fabrics, clothing, tapestries, and furniture items that have been exhibited and awarded both in Italy and abroad. Busnelli is known for experimenting with different techniques and materials to create mesmerizing three-dimensional optical and tactile canvases, allowing people to have a multi-sensorial experience of her art. She received a degree in Industrial Design from the Polytechnic Design School of Milan.

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.

Established in the 18th century, the Manifattura Ceramica Fratelli Stingo in Naples is one of the only historic ceramic production houses still active today. Run by Imma and Simona Stingo, each terracotta vase and tile is handcrafted following ancient techniques handed down generations, concretely synthesizing contemporary tastes and traditions. Known for crafting majolica tiles for Villa Rosebery - the residence of the Italian President - and the Miami Four Seasons Hotel, the house has won several awards for its artistic and cultural contribution over the centuries.

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.

Bringing a piece of Positano and Amalfi Coast into refined homes is the mission of Ceramiche Casola, a family-run brand based in Campania that has been producing one-of-a-kind pottery pieces since 1925. Minutely fashioned and painted by hand, the collections include ceramic plates, pitchers, vases, cups and also precious tables with lava stone tops adorned with vibrant ceramic inserts. Each piece is a testament to the artistry of the master craftsmen who create and design them with utmost dedication and diligence.

Rome-based designer Federica Massimi crafts singular ceramic objects “to eat”, captivating in their whimsical food-inspired designs that are as realistic as they are artistic. After time abroad to develop her artistic passions, in 2019 Massimi became captured by clay and its limitless artistic potential - blending sculpture, painting, and interior decoration. Her collections feature entirely handmade pieces using a local white clay mixed with kaolin clay and calcium and magnesium carbonate - distilling positive feels while serving a functional role.

A multi-purpose designer, Giovanni Agliottone graduated in Industrial and Environmental Design at the Faculty of Architecture in his native Camerino. He trained in several creative fields, from fashion to yacht and furniture design, between the Marche Region, Rome, and Milan. In 2010, he co-founded SMAG design, a graphics and design studio and, in 2020, began producing interior design pieces and furnishings with local artisans. Together with architect Francesco Bonifazi and CGI artist Andrea Avaltroni, in 2021 he founded Gioaio, a graphic design studio in Fossombrone.

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.

Forging metal is Stefano Robiglio’s great passion. A self-taught blacksmith, Robiglio was born in Acqui Terme, Piedmont in 1988 and is currently based in Visone, where he forges his unique and exclusive creations in his studio, from traditional gates and railings to sculptures and décor pieces. Nature and the female figure are his main inspirations: fixed in iron, a material associated with stability, each piece is shaped with fire to make it flexible and dynamic, thus giving life to volumes and lines that convey a sense of movement and balance in a three-dimensional form.

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.

The brainchild of Donatella Casiraghi, Laab is a brand defined by a singular mix of Western and Eastern stylistic influences. A trained architect with over a decade of experience, Casiraghi obtained her Master in Feng Shui in Bangkok, an ancient Chinese art that she applies to both her interior design ensembles and Raku ceramics. Inspired by the Tao concept of ”the void inside defines the essence”, her sublime creations emerge from purity of forms and effortlessly exude energy and expressiveness. Laab is located in Monza, Lombardy.

Showcased in international design and art magazines, Le Meduse is an exclusive brand founded by Gianfranco Coltella in 1993, who was inspired by the ethereal quality and sinuous shapes of jellyfish (“meduse” in Italian). Coltella initially worked for architecture and industrial design firms in Milan, where he consolidated his concept of functional and sustainable designs, favoring natural, recycled materials and finishes. All products are handcrafted in a laboratory located in Saluzzo (Cuneo) using specially designed tools for glass to obtain original shapes and effects.

Chicago-born, trained-architect Felicia Ferrone’s style bridges the gap between the minimalistic and the whimsical, the everyday and the remarkable. Based in both Chicago and Milan, her international eponymous brand is known for its minimalist aesthetic and innovative use of materials and production techniques. Her contemporary glassware and tableware collections created in collaborations with master artisans combine delicately fluted borosilicate glass and Nero Marquina and Carrara marbles to bring a stylish element to both luxury and everyday tables.

Crafting bespoke furniture since 1953, the Druetta family has been keeping alive a high-end upholstering tradition for three generations. Based in Moretta, a small town near Cuneo, the family-run company has developed into a centre for artisanal design and production, also offering all-round furniture repairing and restoration services. Strongly rooted in the local community, the company creates unique pieces using a variety of artisan and modern processing techniques, ranging from the traditional intarsia and gilding to cutting-edge leather processing and textile digital printing.

StudioNotte is a Milan-based, product design studio founded in 2019 by Luisa Alpeggiani and Camila Campos, who met while obtaining their Master’s in Product Design for Innovation at il Politecnico di Milano. Driven by a shared passion for exploring the roots of Italian craftsmanship and the possibilities offered by technology and new materials, the studio creates original designs handcrafted by local artisans in small series that combine functional aspects and refined aesthetics intended to make everyday life more enjoyable.