Italy and design – an inseparable combination. But there is more than the masters Giò Ponti and Ettore Sottsass: a new generation of designers is rising, taking the most out of the lesson of the masters and translating it into contemporary practices blending craftsmanship, Italian heritage and aesthetic research. And sometimes a pinch of humor.
It was not easy making a selection, but here it is: a list of 7 under-35 designers we all better watch from now on:
1. Federica Biasi
Her approach to product is linear and minimal, inspired by Japanese simplicity, faithful to the credo of function and yet always subtly feminine. Her flexibility allows her to engage in fruitful dialogues with companies: we suggest having a look at her designs for Mingardo for some art-decoishinspiration.
Even though he is super young (born in 1993!), Giuseppe is already a name in the scene His works are deeply influenced by the reminiscences of his homebase, Sicily, together with the lesson of masters like Andrea Branzi and Michele de Lucchi, with whom he had the chance to study. If you happen to be in Ragusa (you definitely should, as soon as it will be possible to travel again!) make sure you get one of his elegant Carruba souvenirs, inspired by the typical trees of the Hyblaeanland.
Balance is the keyword for this young Italian designer based in the Netherlands: his furniture pieces are architectural phenomena, beautifully weighing surfaces and volumes, as classical as archetypes can be. His work is already part of the permanent collection of the Design Museum Gent, just saying.
We love the energy and poetry that emanate from this woman. Her objects are always born from a liaison dangereuse between crafts and design, a perfect marriage that never lacks sensuality nor tenderness. Editors’ pic: her handpainted coffee cup set, which name laconically states: “Love without philosophising is like coffee: it’s gone quickly…” Huh, fine.
They call her a good witch, they call her an alchemist. Probably she is both. Sara Ricciardi mixes colors, materials and imageries with the freedom only children and poets have. For her, design is all about relationships, it is a sort of magic tool she uses to create human connections. Dive into her Instagram feed to get a glimpse of the volcanic, ancestral energy that is quickly taking over the international scene.
There is poetry in process, that’s what the hancrafted pieces made by Francesco Pace, the one-man-band behind studio Tellurico, seem to tell. Materials contain stories bred under the surface of the earth, like the ones that constellate the Volcanic Porcelain he uses for his vessels. The name of the studio itself, Tellurico, means “that belongs to the earth”. But this does not prevent him from belonging to ultracool galleries too, like Camp Design in Milan.
Imma Matera and Tommaso Lucarini are a couple in work and in life. Together they create limited editions and one-offs that experiment with the expressive potential of materials, tickle tactility and generate playful narratives. They are super young and determined, so we definitely recommend giving a shoutout to these two!
