The Artisans

Enhancing the artistic heritage of Naples whilst establishing a dialogue with contemporary design trends is the primary aim of Fondazione Made in Cloister, a project born in 2012 from the restoration of the cloister of St Catherine’s Church in Formiello. Master artisans and talented designers collaborate to shape exceptional objects of unique character that will elevate any interior with their authentic Neapolitan spirit. Since 2015, the brand has been tasked with the mapping of local artistic crafts to contribute to the revival of the city’s cultural and urban roots.

Luci Italia was founded in 2017 by Giorgio Valobra and Riccardo Ongarato with the purpose of presenting the finest collections of custom-made, hand-blown Venetian chandeliers and lighting to the wider market. Giorgio Valobra, a 4th generation master jeweler whose family was the official supplier of the Italian Royals, contributes his extensive expertise in high-end retail, while Riccardo Ongarato, a 3rd generation master glassblower from a prestigious Venetian family, delivers the highest level of craftsmanship and creativity, resulting in exceptional pieces

Tommaso Garavini, artist and designer, was born in Rome in 1972. A leading figure in the OZ Officine Zero project and co-founder of Rota-Lab, his products, all handmade, are the result of continuous experimentation and research. A variety of materials and production techniques that come together from time to time to create unique and unrepeatable pieces with an innovative and contemporary design. Collections that wish to draw attention to the raw material used and its intrinsic beauty.

Ignazio Romeo began his artistic career in the 1980s when he became acquainted with new techniques such as silk-screen printing and metalsmithing. Many of Romeo’s exhibitions focus on the interaction between the artwork and the environment, on the dialogue between the “oeuvre” and the exhibition place, the external and the internal. Constantly seeking to improve himself, Romeo experiments with materials and techniques to create unique objects of design and sculptural flair yet that are rooted in conceptual research.

Tradition, craftsmanship, attention to detail. It is on these values that Antonio and Luigi Marzorati founded the Figino Serenza company over 50 years ago. Over time, Marzorati has established itself as a solid entity in the production of luxury furniture and furnishing accessories in a classic, neoclassic, Baroque, Rococo, Luigi XVI, and Art Deco styles. Products for timeless interiors, customized and handmade in Italy and designed to furnish, not only spaces in the home, but also elegant mansions and hotels.

Mutina derives from the natural need to urge world top designers to bring their ideas, for the first time, to the landscape of ceramics materials. Mutina seeks and promote beauty, in the purest form of its being, through projects that combines design and art, in a course of experimentation and mutual contamination.

Based in the town of Castelminio di Resana near Treviso, Fabbian is an award-winning lighting brand established in 1961. The exclusive use of top-rate materials and tireless dedication to technical and stylistic improvement enabled the brand to quickly become a leader in the field. Luca Pellegrino acquired the company in 2018, introducing an environmentally-friendly direction which, thanks to collaborations with talented designers, resulted in cutting-edge lighting projects capable of meeting the diverse tastes of its international clientele.

Alessio Sarri Ceramiche was established in 1981 after the first exhibition of postmodern design by the Memphis Group. Master potter Alessio Sarri was able to bring to life the inventive projects of Memphis Group artists, among whom most notably George J. Sowden, Ettore Sottsass, Nathalie du Pasquier, Almerico De Angelis, Beatrice Santiccioli, Jasper Morrison. Sarri also designed his own collections, his sculptural works of art boasting new captivating shapes drawn from everyday objects, such as tableware, that become unique and high-quality objects of design.

Founded by Andrey Shvidkiy and Giulio Brambilla, Tribute is an Italian furniture and lighting design brand named after the duo’s aim of paying homage to the “Made in Italy” design ethos, in their own words, “a tribute to craftsmanship”. Based in Milan, they create unique and iconic pieces inspired by the bold character of the Art Deco era and the sleekness of mid-century modern geometric lines. The brand’s pieces are customizable to meet clients’ wishes and are ideal for personal or contract projects.

The story of Natisa was born in the heart of a territory famous throughout the world for its production of wooden chairs and furniture. The company from Moimacco brings the local artisan tradition into all of its products; designer chairs and tables, and also furniture and furnishing accessories for the home and contract market. The natural beauty of wood meets new materials and techniques as a result of profound research. Over the years, Natisa has received 5 European patents.

Established in 2007 by Draga Obradovic and Aurel K. Basedow, Draga & Aurel is a multidisciplinary studio and workshop for art, collectible design, and furnishing items. Armed with a diversified background in art, fashion, and craftsmanship, Draga & Aurel are widely known for combining original methods with an artistic approach to materials and composition.

Since1983, Cu Artigiana has created stunning cookware collections following traditional copper manufacturing techniques. Based in Sant’Anastasia, near Naples, city of the greatest master coppersmiths, Cu Artigiana creates exclusive objects for haute cuisine enthusiasts. Magnificently crafted using century-old methods, each piece is skillfully tinned over fire and meticulously hammered by hand creating a superb series of tiny dents into the heated metal, making each piece a one-of-a-kind.

Born in Ostuni in 1967, Pietro Russo studied painting, scenography, and pottery decoration at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence before moving to Berlin to start his illustrious career. His first opportunity to collaborate with leading design brands like Kartell came in 2002 when he was hired by the Milan-based architecture studio Lissoni Associati. His creative instincts led him to establish his own home-atelier in 2010, where, helped by a prolific team of artisans, architects, and designers, he creates iconic pieces using materials such as wood, marble, and bronze.

For more than 40 years, the artisan company from Fiume Veneto, in Pordenone, Walking Sticks, has been creating luxury accessories sought after as both collectibles and for everyday use. Leaders in the field of walking sticks, known for their originality, elegance and high quality, the company also presents umbrellas, socks, shaving sets and much more in their collections. A strictly Made in Italy production that combines tradition and modernity.

Coki Barbieri established her eponymous studio-workshop in Rimini in 2017, bringing to life a sustainable way of conceiving home design. Nature inspires her pleasant and environmentally conscious creations, which are imbued with emotional energy while maintaining their aesthetic impact and practical functionality. Coki collaborates with talented artisans to produce one-of-a-kind homeware objects capable of unlocking new synergies between concepts, materials, and use.

The furniture brand Barnini Oseo was established following the post-WWII period, located in the picturesque Tuscan hillside in what was at first a rustic carpenter’s shop. Meticulous artisan techniques and prized materials guided the development of new, intriguing design trends, allowing the company to take center stage in the Italian furnishing sector both domestically and internationally. Roberto Barnini, the brand’s current creative director, encourages a culture of creativity that leads to the creation of precious, unique design pieces by master artisans.

Lorenzo Maria Monti is a visual artist and photographer from Conegliano Veneto, near Venice. After working in cities such as Barcelona, Miami, and London, he came back to his homeland to display his visionary art in many prestigious exhibitions, among which the "Through the Black Mirror" at the PARATISSIMA of Milan, 2018. His most recent work is the collection "Vitrum Spatialis", a series of abstract photographs inspired by space images taken by NASA, which engage observers in the mystical, conceptual, and existential universe of lights.

New York, London, Paris, Florence and finally Milan. This is the location chosen by Gala Rotelli, architect and designer, to open her studio and launch her brand of jewelry and designer objects in 2015. Gala puts her vision into each piece, bringing together traditional craftsmanship and 3D technology. A poetic design resulting from collaborations with Italian masters from Valenza, Murano, Este, and Vietri. Gala also boasts collaborations with influential brands, chefs and hotels: Acqua di Parma, Viviana Varese, Luce Studio and Palazzo Avino.

World-renowned for its deft craftsmanship with prized Botticino Classico marble, Sartoria del Marmo by Lombardi Marmi is an institution in the industry: in fact, the majestic Altare della Patria in Rome is one of their monumental works. Founded in 1815 by Giovita and Gianbattista Lombardi, the company was at the forefront of innovative methods used in Brescia’s fine quarries. Now managed by the sixth generation Virginia and her son Davide, the company is defined by excellent production standards and cutting-edge design models.

Sicilian artist, Sebastiano Leta, loves to experiment with new materials and techniques to produce original designer objects; unique and authentic pieces. Having graduated in Decoration and Painting at the Palermo and Carrara Academy of Fine Arts, today Sebastiano Leta has a sculpture, ceramics and jewellery studio in Pietrasanta, in the province of Lucca. Alongside pottery turning and ceramic firing, the artist has added techniques for wax modelling and the precision casting of metals for jewellery making.