The 1950s was a significant period for contemporary ceramics, with the Accolay factory playing a key role. During this time, artists and ceramicists were experimenting with various techniques, such as hollow decorations, layering slip and colored enamels, creating different textures, and using challenging red enamels.

The Poterie d’Accolay refers to a community of potters based in Accolay, Yonne, led by André Boutaud, Louis Dangon, Slavic Paley, and Raude, who were former students of Alexandre Kostanda. Later, decorators like Raphaël Giarrusso, Georges Pelletier, and sculptor Pierre Merlier made their mark on this artistic period. The ceramics were known for their unique decorations and a variety of forms, including pots, wall plates, lamps, and masks.

This creative period was so successful that by 1958-1960, the ceramic industry employed around sixty people and opened several exhibition stores along major roads, including RN6 in Vermenton, Arcy sur Cure, and Appoigny, RN7 in Pouilly sur Loire, and the road from Dijon to Fixin.

Accolay

Adrien Blomme

Tobia Scarpa, an architect and designer, completed his education in 1969 at the University of Venice. In the same year, he achieved the prestigious “Compasso d’Oro” award for his “Soriana” armchair, which he designed for Cassina. Since then, he has received numerous other design awards, and many of his creations are featured in renowned museums worldwide. Notably, his ‘Libertà’ chair is showcased at the Louvre. Scarpa has served as an architect for both public and private clients, with one of his notable projects being the design of the industrial area and production facilities in Castrette di Villorba (Treviso) for the Benetton Group. Even today, these Benetton facilities stand as a pinnacle of aesthetic and functional excellence, representing some of the most captivating industrial architecture in the world.

Afra & Tobia Scarpa

In 1947 that he founded Arredoluce, a premier manufacturer of furniture and lighting, in Monza. During the same year, at the VIII Triennale di Milano, he exhibited the lamp 12128, which became known as the Triennale floor lamp. He became an influential designer in postwar Italy, especially in the field of modern lighting design. During the 1950s, Arredoluce started to collaborate with such designers as Franco Albini, Achille Castiglioni, Gio Ponti, and Ettore Sottsass and also started to experiment with halogen light bulbs for his designs. Out of this experimentation, Lelii increased the use of transformers for his designs and created the recognizable Arredoluce switch.

Angelo Lelii’s lamps and lighting objects stand out for their extremely simple designs that strive for minimal complexity and for their strong sense of unadorned sensitivity. Thanks to Angelo Lelii’s unique approach to design, Arredoluce quickly built a reputation for creating premium quality products based on clean, simple, and functional designs.

Angelo Lelii

Angelo Mangiarotti

Arlus

Boris Tabacoff

In the São Paulo of the 1950s, a group of architects consisting of Roberto Aflalo, Jacob Ruchti, Miguel Forte, Plínio Croce, Carlos Milan and Chen Yhwa got together to create a furniture shop that could cater to their modern and sophisticated view of architecture. In 1952, the young vanguardists embraced Aflalo’s idea and founded Branco & Preto, where they sold modern furniture made of brazilian materials and with impeccable finishing: something completely new at the time. The shop became a reference for architects, who would visit it to become familiar with the trends and discuss the pieces that broke with the traditional, stout lines used until then. Tt remained open until 1965, during which they created pieces of furniture that still inspire Brazilian designers today.

Branco e Preto

Gambone is an Italian ceramic artist and multidisciplinary designer, or his innovative approach that blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary artistic exploration. 

Gambone’s work redefined modern ceramics, showcasing organic forms, bold textures, and a narrative imagination that bridges functional craft and sculptural art. His international experiences and collaborations enriched his vision, positioning him as an influential figure in late 20th-century applied arts. 

Gambone began his artistic journey early, apprenticing in his father Guido Gambone’s renowned ceramic studio in Florence. 

His early work with ceramics was soon complemented by painting, fabric decoration, and experimental multimedia art. In the 1960s, Gambone lived in New York, mingling with avant-garde artists like Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol, which deeply influenced his multidisciplinary practice. Returning to Italy in the late 1960s after his father’s passing, Gambone dedicated himself to evolving the family ceramic legacy, often incorporating motifs of imaginative animals and nature. During this period, he connected with influential contemporary artists such as Castellani, Fontana, Scheggi, Bonalumi, and Colombo. 

His work gained recognition in prestigious exhibitions including the Venice Biennale and Milan Triennale, extending his influence across Europe and beyond. Bruno Gambone’s creations embody a poetic dialogue between form, material, and storytelling. His ceramics, lamps, and furnishings are noted for their distinctive textures, fluid shapes, and evocative presence, reflecting a lifelong dedication to pushing the boundaries of applied art. 

Bruno Gambone is a member of the Italian National Ceramics Council and the Geneva Academy. For ten years, he served as President of CNA ASNART, the Italian Trade Association of Artisans, a role in which he now holds the title of Honorary President. In 1997, Gambone was appointed Artistic Director of the Italian Ceramic Awards held in Vietri sul Mare, Salerno.

Bruno Gambone

Bruno Gatta founded Stilnovo in 1946 in Lainate, a city part of the industrial suburbs of Milano. Stilnovo is lead by a market logic unlike Arredoluce or O’Luce which, despite his small size, adopts an industrial logic from 1952-1955.

From then until the 1980s, Stilnovo produced some of the most imaginative and striking lighting fixtures of its time, revolutionary both in its use of material and in its shapes.

Bruno Gatta

Cado

Carlo Hauner

Carlo Scarpa (June 2, 1906 – November 28, 1978) was an influential Italian architect and designer deeply rooted in the rich cultural history of Venice. He began his career as an assistant at the Royal Superior Institute of Architecture of Venice and later served as the Director of the Architectural Institute of Venice University in 1972. Scarpa’s architectural style beautifully balanced tradition and modernity, skillfully integrating new design elements while respecting the historical context. His profound understanding of raw materials and a meticulous selection and combination of materials set him apart. Scarpa’s work, which can be seen as a series of experiments, is a testament to his rejection of architectural habits, with the fragment as the favored embodiment of his design philosophy.

Scarpa’s designs were marked by an extraordinary attention to detail and an emphasis on visual commentary through materials, light, spatial arrangements, and colors. He used elements from nature, such as water and stone, to enhance his designs, creating labyrinthine forms and unique compositions. Scarpa’s approach to “decoration” challenged the prevailing modernist views, emphasizing the value of ornament as an integral part of design. His iconic project, the Brion-Vega Cemetery, is a testament to his commitment to creating enduring works that transcend time and capture the essence of his architectural language. His influence extended to other Italian interior designers and architects, leaving a lasting impact on the field of design. Scarpa’s appreciation for Japanese art and culture, which he developed throughout his life, further enriched his artistic sensibilities. He passed away during a journey to Japan in 1978, leaving behind a legacy of innovative and harmonious architectural and design achievements.

Carlo Scarpa

Celina Decorações

Dagmar

Dan Friedman

Einar Johansen

Eric Astoul is a contemporary French ceramic artist born in 1954. He is moving to the world reknown ceramic center of La Borne in 1982 and starts a research on turned ceramic volumes.

The colors and the texture of the pieces are given through firing them in wood kiln at the very high temperature of 1300°C for 5 to 6 days.

Eric Astoul

Ernesto Hauner

Étienne Fermigier

Ettore Sottsass was an italian architect and designer of the late 20th century. His body of designs included furniture, jewellery, glass, lighting and office machine design.

In 1956, Ettore Sottsass began working as a design consultant for Olivetti, designing office equipment, typewriters, and furniture. There Sottsass made his name as a designer who, through colour, form and styling, managed to bring office equipment into the realm of popular culture. Sottsass, Mario Tchou, and Roberto olivetti won the prestigious 1960 compasso d’oro with the elea 9003, the first italian mainframe computer.

Throughout the 1960s, Sottsass travelled in the US and India and designed more products for Olivetti, culminating in the bright red plastic portable valentine typewriter in 1970, which became a fashion accessory. Sotsass described the valentine as “a brio among typewriters.” compared with the typical drab typewriters of the day, the valentine was more of a design statement item than an office machine.

While continuing to design for Olivetti in the 1960s, Sottsass developed a range of objects which were expressions of his personal experiences traveling in the United States and India. These objects included large altar-like ceramic sculptures and his “superboxes”, radical sculptural gestures presented within a context of consumer product, as conceptual statement. Covered in bold and colorful, simulated custom laminates, they were precursors to memphis, a movement which came more than a decade later. His work from the late 60s to the 70s was defined by experimental collaborations with younger designers such as Superstudio and Archizoom association, and association with the radical movement, culminating in the foundation of Memphis at the turn of the decade.

As an industrial designer, his clients included Fiorucci, esprit, the Italian furniture company Poltronova, Knoll international, Serafino Zani, Alessi and Brondi. As an architect, he designed the Mayer-Schwarz gallery on rodeo drive in Beverly hills, California, with its dramatic doorway made of irregular folds and jagged angles, and the home of David M. Kelley, designer of apple’s first computer mouse, in woodside, California. In the mid-1990s, he designed the sculpture garden and entry gates of the W. Keith and Janet Kellogg gallery at the campus of Cal Poly Pomona. He collaborated with well-known figures in the architecture and design field, including Aldo Cibic, James Irvine, Matteo Thun.

Sottsass had a vast body of work; furniture, jewellery, ceramics, glass, silver work, lighting, office machine design and buildings which inspired generations of architects and designers.

Ettore Sottsass

Printz was a distinguished French cabinetmaker and designer, renowned for his refined and inventive approach to Art Deco furniture and interior decoration. Printz’s designs combined exquisite craftsmanship with simple yet luxurious forms, marking him as a leading figure in twentieth-century decorative arts. Embracing innovative materials such as palmwood veneer, exotic woods, and gilded bronze.

Printz elevated furniture to objects of art, often collaborating with noted artisans like Jean Dunand for decorative lacquer panels. Trained in his father's Paris workshop, Printz began by replicating antique pieces; he quickly transitioned to modern design, debuting his own work at the International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts in 1925 alongside Pierre Chareau. His rise was propelled by commissions from the French Mobilier National, the City of Paris, and the haute-couture offices of Jeanne Lanvin. Printz’s clientele extended internationally, designing for patrons in the UK, North America, Belgium, and Mexico.

During the 1930s, Printz’s creations furnished the boudoir of the Princess de la Tour d’Auvergne at the Château de Grosbois and showcased his mastery at major Parisian salons and universal exhibitions, where his understanding of lighting and spatial arrangement stood out. His work for public and private spaces, as well as set designs for the Théâtre Athénée in Paris, solidified his reputation among the social elite.

Eugène Printz

Federico Munari is a prominent Italian designer who began his career in the early 1950s. He developed a distinctive style that combines design and artistic creativity, setting him apart as a unique talent in the field. A skilled draftsman, he even rivaled his contemporaries such as Ettore Sottsass and Pierre Guariche.

Federico Munari

Felix Agostini

Fernando & Humberto Campana

Fontana Arte is the artistic division of Luigi Fontana & Co., a glass manufacturing company founded by Luigi Fontana. The renowned architect Gio Ponti established the Fontana Arte division in 1932.

Ponti recognized that glass objects, such as lamps and tables, could be seamlessly integrated into his various interior designs. He sought the assistance of artist Pietro Chiesa to develop a new artistic direction for Fontana Arte.

Some of his most famous works include Cartoccio, a unique glass vase that curls at the top into four points, Fontana, a low table crafted from a large curved glass piece, and Luminator, a series of modern floor lamps in nickel-plated brass.

A group of private investors acquired the company, and Carlo Guglielmi was appointed as the CEO. Gae Aulenti became the new artistic director, Pierluigi Cerri the graphic consultant, Piero Castiglioni was named the lighting engineer for Fontana Arte, and Franco Raggi managed special events. The idea was to revive the original concept of Fontana Arte by allowing prominent architects to work on new designs for the company. 

From 1979 until the late 1990s, Fontana Arte continued to expand. In 1992, the company acquired Candle, an innovative lighting company. Fontana Arte also opened large showrooms in Milan, Rome, Via Giulia, and Los Angeles. In 1998, the new line of Fontana Arte, Oggetti, was introduced. The company continued to explore new markets throughout the 2000s, gaining worldwide recognition for its modern design pieces.

Fontana Arte

Franco Campo and Carlo Graffi first crossed paths during their university years at the Politecnico di Torino, where they studied engineering and architecture under the guidance of Carlo Mollino. After graduating in 1950, they continued collaborating with Professor Mollino on projects spanning both architecture and design.

In their early works, Campo and Graffi clearly reflected Mollino’s influence—marked by graceful curves and the use of organic materials. Throughout the 1950s, they focused on custom interiors and furniture design, working alongside interior decorators, retailers, and private clients. Over time, their aesthetic evolved, drawing inspiration from the city of Turin. This shift led to designs that emphasized more rigid, sculptural forms and celebrated structural elements and exposed joints.

In 1956, Campo and Graffi founded their pioneering furniture workshop, Home, with the goal of making high-quality design accessible to a broader audience. They crafted pieces primarily in teak and also imported designs from Scandinavia. Home experienced significant success, expanding to Genoa and Rome.

However, in 1964, a tragic fire destroyed the factory, effectively ending both Home and the partnership between Campo and Graffi. After the separation, Carlo Graffi resumed his collaboration with Carlo Mollino, while Franco Campo continued his work in furniture and interior design.

Despite the brevity of their partnership, Campo and Graffi’s commitment to democratic, accessible design left a lasting legacy in the world of mid-century modern furniture.

Franco Campo & Carlo Graffi

Monnet grew up in the 1960s and was inspired by the artistic atmosphere of that time. In the art world, a multitude of powerful changes were also taking place. Pop Art, through the works of Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Tom Wesselmann, was progressively dismantling the foundations upon which the production and reception of art were built by embracing mass media culture. Drawing inspiration from popular culture imagery and mass consumption, pop artists challenged the authority of high art and created an avant-garde movement. Simultaneously, minimalism rejected any form of emotional expression and focused on the theoretical aspects of art, aiming for pure visual responses. Simplicity and the absence of emotions were key concepts of the highly influential Minimalist movement, embodied by artists like Frank Stella, Donald Judd, and Agnes Martin.

Less concerned with the gestural elements of abstract expressionism, minimalist artists concentrated on creating artworks primarily composed of clean, sharp lines and geometric elements. The very first emergence of conceptualism was strongly influenced by the purity of minimalism but went further by rejecting all preexisting conceptions inherent to art, akin to what pop artists were attempting to achieve by elevating popular culture to the status of high art.

François Monnet

Frères Cloutier

Élisabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti form a celebrated French design duo, instrumental in defining a unique and imaginative style within the world of contemporary design.

Their bold and eclectic approach is characterised by whimsical forms and innovative use of diverse materials, which has captivated collectors and design aficionados worldwide.

Since beginning their collaboration in the early 1980s, Garouste and Bonetti have crafted designs that blend playful daring with influences ranging from surrealist art to Baroque and primitive aesthetics. Rejecting minimalism and functionalism, they embraced a romantic decorative style full of theatricality and poetry.

Their partnership began with the decoration of the Privilège club at Paris’s legendary Le Palace, quickly gaining attention for their dramatic and eclectic creations. They went on to design interiors for clients including fashion icon Christian Lacroix, whose haute couture salons they transformed with strikingly unconventional furnishings.

Throughout their prolific career, Garouste and Bonetti produced memorable pieces such as the vibrant Koala sofa and the Barbare chair, combining organic shapes, bold colours, materials like wrought iron, bronze, terracotta, and sumptuous textiles. Their work became a hallmark of neo-Baroque design and new romanticism, breaking boundaries between art and functional design.

Their influence extends internationally with works held in prestigious museums such as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. They received numerous accolades including Designers of the Year at the International Furniture Fair in 1991.

Garouste and Bonetti’s continued commitment to craftsmanship, their audacious creative spirit, and their whimsical yet sophisticated designs secure their place among the great visionary couples in modern design history.

Garouste & Bonetti

Mohasseb is a Lebanese architect and designer. He studied architecture in Washington D.C., at Ecole Boulle in Paris and Domus Academy in Milan. In 2007, he opened his company "wood&" in Paris, working on projects focused on wood, his favorite material.

Since then, he has been experimenting with many other materials, like brass, resin, plaster, to create furniture combining traditions of the Middle East and a totally contemporary design.

His constant search for materiality and immateriality has defined his approach to design. He creates limited numbers of timeless designs, focusing on excellent craftsmanship and a complex expression of materials. Georges creates nonconformist functional art for Studio Manda, bridging diverse creative influences in every bespoke piece, with a common storyline converging nature, materiality and artisanship to evoke conversations.

The work is mainly inspired by forces of nature that can shape natural elements. The presence of wood is always prominent in many of Georges’ designs, due to its connectivity, liveliness, and texture.

His creations have been displayed and selected for several international institutions and exhibitions, including Nomad Venice 2019 with Carwan gallery; with Galerie Gabriel & Guillaume in NYC for Salon 2019; with Galerie Gosserez, PAD, Paris, 2019; Collect, House of Fly, London, 2019; Carwan Gallery at Nomad, Monaco and St Moritz, 2017; House of Today, Beirut, 2016; London Biennale, 2016; and PAD, Paris, London, 2013 and 2014.

Georges Mohasseb

Georges Pelletier

Geraldo de Barros was a Brazilian painter and photographer who also worked in engraving, graphic arts, and industrial design. He was a leader of the Concrete Art movement in Brazil, co-founding Grupo Ruptura, and was known for his trailblazing work in experimental abstract photography and modernism. According to The Guardian, de Barros was “one of the most influential Brazilian artists of the 20th century.” From 1954 until the 1960s, he was at the head of Unilabor, a company he founded to produce his inventive minimalist furniture.

Geraldo de Barros

Gérard Dalmon

Gilbert Valentin, born in Nancy in 1928, had his first encounter with ceramics in 1946 in Dieulefit, where he was introduced to the fundamental techniques of this art. Following this initial experience, he embarked on a professional apprenticeship in the ceramic section of the National School of Vierzon (now Lycée Henri- Brisson). Subsequently, he worked as a ceramic engineer at the pottery of Lunéville-Saint-Clément.

With a sol id grasp of ceramic techniques, par ticularly enamels, he embarked on his ceramic career. In 1950, Gilbert Valentin made the decision to relocate to Vallauris, where he established Les Archanges.

Here, he welcomed numerous artists, including painters, sculptors, musicians, and writers, forming friendships with notable figures such as Pablo Picasso, Jacques Prévert, Georges Braque, and Jean Cocteau.

Valentin actively contributed to the evolution of forms and decorative styles. His preference for robust pieces led to innovations in design, such as handle-less pitchers and the exploration of zoomorphic forms in smaller and medium-sized works. A distinctive feature of this period, easily recognizable, was the abstract decoration set against a backdrop of black or grey granite, with vibrant splashes of pure colors.

Gilbert Valentin

Gino Paroldo

Sarfatti was an Italian lighting designer and entrepreneur, widely celebrated for his contributions to modern Italian lighting and is often seen as a central figure in relation to Italian Rationalism. Trained in naval engineering, Sarfatti founded the influential company Arteluce in 1939, which quickly became a hub for innovation and collaboration among Italy’s leading mid-century designers.

His work redefined the possibilities of lighting, blending technical ingenuity with elegant, often minimalist, forms to create over 700 original luminaires during his career.Sarfatti’s lamps are renowned for their sculptural qualities, with a unique approach that began by designing the bulb’s structure before shaping the full design.

His innovative use of new materials, production techniques, and light sources including early adoption of halogen bulbs and neon strip lights—set new standards in the industry. The company Arteluce earned several prestigious awards, including the Compasso d’Oro in 1954 and 1955, solidifying Sarfatti’s position as a leading figure in 20th-century design. Throughout his career, Sarfatti fostered lasting collaborations with architects and fellow designers such as Franco Albini, Vittoriano Viganò, and Marco Zanuso. His work extended beyond private homes to include public buildings, cruise ships, theaters, and museums, significantly influencing Italy’s post-war architectural landscape. His work is highly sought after by collectors for their clarity, innovation, and timeless elegance.

Gino Sarfatti

Born and raised in Milan, Ponti began his career via a partnership with architects Emilio Lancia and Mino Fiocchi in 1923. During this time his accomplishments included the house on Via Randaccio in Milan (1925) and the Bouilhet villa in Garches, Paris (1926). After 1927 he partnered only with Lancia at Studio Ponti e Lancia PL. It was an arrangement that worked for the next seven years, during which time Ponti was heavily influenced by the neo-classical Novecento Italiano artistic movement.

He also designed a series of chairs which were considered highly innovative for their time. Among his famous chair designs were the Superleggera and Distex. Ponti also created a variety of lamps for companies like Artemide, Venini, and Fontana Arte. At the height of Ponti’s career, along with Pier Luigi Nervi and Arturo Danusso, he earned the commission to design the Pirelli Tower in Milan.

Ponti’s career was so diversified that he left his mark on the world not only through buildings which are still standing, but also within the art community, the industrial design sector, and even publishing houses. He was involved in the design of structures in 13 different countries, collaborating with over 100 different companies.

Gio Ponti

Giuseppe Scapinelli a designer of Italian origin, was both a furniture maker and retailer in the 1950s and 1960s in Sao Paulo. His style is easily recognizable because of the curvy lines and soft shapes, very much away from the mainstream designs of his fellow designers and inspired probably by the Italian design of the ‘40s. His pieces are beautifully crafted in Brazilian traditional wood. He designed and produced many unique pieces for distinctive Sao Paulo homes.

Giuseppe Scapinelli

Robert Guillerme studied design and architecture at the Boulle School in France, graduating at the top of his class in 1934. Jacques Chambron, on the other hand, graduated from the School of Applied Arts in Reims, France. Sharing a profound passion for interior design, it was only natural that these two men would form a deep friendship during the tragic events of World War II. Jacques Chambron quickly resigned from his job as a painter and decorator in Paris in 1948 to join the Guillerme family in northern France.

In 1949, Guillerme and Chambron crossed paths with Émile Dariosecq, a master cabinetmaker. Not only was Emile Dariosecq a skilled cabinetmaker, but he also had a workshop in their region. It was from this encounter that they decided to establish the company “Votre Maison.” By combining functionality and design, Guillerme and Chambron would create their global reputation while leaving a lasting mark on the world of design.

In the 1970s, Hervé Chambron, the son of Jacques Chambron and a design graduate, joined “Votre Maison” and took over the business in 1983.

Guillerme et Chambron

Hala Matta was born in Beirut in 1970. After 20 fruitful years in the corporate world, she decides to pursue a career as a ceramicist. Trained in the studio of ceramicists Nathalie Khayat, Nevilsalha and Samar Mogharbel.

Hala opened her own studio in 2015. She attended several advanced workshops in Europe. She is a firm believer in developing local craftsmanship and vernacular artistic productions.

The studio founded by Hala Matta “Namika Atelier “ is a collaborative platform defending craftsmanship and ceramics as a mainstream artistic medium. Her work has been showcased in collective exhibitions in Beirut, Paris and Brussels. She lives and works in Beirut, Lebanon.

Hala Matta

Jacques Adnet

Jacques Blin

Jean Perzel

After working for several years in the bank and the export area, Jean Royère chooses to embrace a belatedly career of decorator. It is from 1931 that Royère begins to familiarize with furniture trades, faubourg Saint-Antoine in Paris, France. Very quickly, Jean Royère wins competitions and prizes and gets known in the world of decorators and Parisian clientele.

In 1934 Royère meets Pierre Gouffé who commits him for the realization of set ups and modern furniture. Sure of his talent, Gouffé incites the young decorator to exhibit in 1934 at the ‘Salon d’Automne’ and in 1935 at the ‘Salon des Artistes Décorateurs’. At the time, he is one of the most original and most creative decorators of moment.

In 1942 Royère opens his first gallery at rue d’Argenson, 5 and begins to get bigger just after the war beyond the borders: in Egypt (1946), in the Lebanon (1947), then in Syria, in Jordan, in Saudi Arabia, in Iraq and in Iran. He realizes hudge construction sites such as Tehran senate (19581960), in Iran. From 1953 Jean Royère also shoots to South America, and opens offices in Peru and in Brazil.

But it’s in Paris where Royère concentrates his activity. From 1949, he settles a new gallery, wider, at rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 182 in which he will stay until the early 1970’s. American resident since 1972, Royère leaves France in 1980 after having put on public sale public is personal furniture, an overview offorty years of creation. He dies one year later in Pennsylvania.

At the beginning of his career, Jean Royère is influenced by the famous decorators of the 1930’s such as Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann, but also by modern artists such as Djo Bourgeois. Self-taught man, Royère evolves between 1933 and 1939 towards a style of his own, original and ingenious, “not connected with any school” he says himself. A single principle: the perfection in the harmony of the result. Full of humor, poetry, wonder but also boldness, these inovations reflect at the same time their creator’s imagination, but also the revival of the modern style.

Jean Royère

Joaquim Tenreiro was a pioneer of modernist Brazilian furniture, earning him the title of the “father” of modern furniture in Brazil.

Tenreiro was born in Portugal into a family of woodworkers and carpenters. In the late 1920s, he emigrated to Rio de Janeiro and began working for the firm Laubisch Hirth. In the early 1940s, Tenreiro established his own furniture studio, where his work started to gain wider recognition.

His design philosophy centered around the concept of “lightness,” focusing on elegance, grace, and the use of space.

This vision strongly resonated with architects who embraced modernism, and his most notable client was Oscar Niemeyer, for whom he designed furniture for various projects.

Joaquim Tenreiro

Jorge Zalszupin was born in Warsaw, Poland, and studied architecture in Bucharest before moving to Paris to work as an architect, and then to Brazil in the late 40s.

In 1959, Zalszupin started the furniture firm L’Atelier. Emphasizing a high level of craftsmanship, L’Atelier saw near-immediate success and eventually had two factories producing his designs.

Zalszupin was heavily inspired by Danish design and while he was known for his refined work in jacaranda and other Brazilian woods. L’Atelier thrived in Brazil, having ten shops at the height of Zalszupin’s career. His furniture also won numerous commissions, including in Brasilia.

Jorge Zalszupin is considered one of Brazil’s most important designers of the twentieth century.

Jorge Zalszupin

Hoffmann emerged as a leading advocate of the Gesamtkunstwerk, or the concept of a “total work of art,” in Vienna. Profoundly skilled and remarkably prolific, he ventured into diverse design realms, encompassing architecture, furniture, household items, attire, book coverings, posters, fabrics, and wallpaper. Hoffmann firmly believed in the societal and spiritual advantages of creating harmonious living spaces under the guidance of a singular creative intellect.

His design philosophy bore the imprint of influential figures such as John Ruskin, William Morris, Charles Robert Ashbee, and Otto Wagner. Each of these visionaries shared a common goal: to elevate the status of craftsmanship to the level of fine art. Hoffmann, at the tender age of twenty-nine, imparted their wisdom as a professor at the Kunstgewerbeschule (School for Arts and Crafts). In 1903, he joined forces with fellow Vienna Secession member Koloman Moser to establish the Wiener Werkstätte.

The primary objectives of the Wiener Werkstätte were to rekindle the highest standards of craftsmanship and kindle widespread interest in sophisticated and unique designs. In the early 1900s, Hoffmann honed his signature style characterized by geometric precision and unity, which manifested in designs for various mediums, including silverware, furniture, carpets, textiles, lamps, and architectural elements.

His remarkable talent for crafting beautiful and enduring forms ensured that his career in architectural design and decor spanned several decades, stretching into the 1950s, leaving a lasting legacy in both Europe and the United States.

Josef Hoffmann

Born in Bahia, in the North of Brazil, the self-taught designer, artist and architect moved to Rio and started an architectural scale model workshop where he worked with modernist pioneers such as Lucio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer.

Working with plywood for his models, he realised how the innovative material lent itself to furniture that he started designing in the 1940s.

A pioneer in the respect of his environment, he later experimented with more organic designs and vigorously protected Brazilian forests.

Zanine’s work has been exhibited in the Musée des Arts Decoratifs in Paris and throughout the US and Europe.

Jose Zanine Caldas

Founded in 1873, the Liceu de Artes e ofícios in São Paulo was established in order to lead the Arts & Crafts movement to Brazil. The school provided an education for students where they could learn skills such as carpentry, painting, pottery, and design, enabling them to perform as highly skilled craftsmen.

The laosp became self- sufficient and independent when the students began receiving financial support for the work they produced. These pieces, being of such a high standard, were sold throughout Brazil. the students also made items for special projects at prestigious places in Sao Paulo such as hotels, universities and private residences.

Liceu de Artes

Livia Gorka, born in Nógádveröce, Hungary, earned her master potter certificate in 1947 under the tutelage of her father, Géza Gorka. As an independent artist, she initially worked in the Gorka workshop in Veröce until 1959. After that, she established her own studio.

Inspired by nature, her creations features large, irregular vessels, idols, fish, birds, and stones. Gorka has embraced the prewheel archaic technique for working with clay. Her pieces are unique, but she also favors creating series and groups of objects. She typically produces high-fired items using her clay bodies, often opting for stoneware.

She frequently employs oxide glazes and combines clay with metals. Her works, characterized by their strong plasticity, feature a reserved color palette.

Livia Gorka

Luciano Frigerio

Luigi Caccia Dominioni

Lumess Switzerland

Mado Jolain was born in Paris in 1921. Trained at the Ecole des arts décoratifs in Paris, Mado Jolain also attended the workshop of La Grande Chaumière where she met her husband, the painter René Legrand. In 1946, she moved to a studio on Rue d’Alésia.

She participated in the Salon des artistes décorateurs and the Salon de l’Imagerie. Her success is certain. Colette Gueden, the High Priestess of L’Atelier Primavera at the Printemps store, draws on her talent. She exhibits regularly in Parisian galleries: L’Arcade, Porte Etroite or Galerie du Siècle. In 1955, the prestigious Galerie La Demeure Place Saint-Sulpice presented his work. In the early 1960s, Mado Jolain developed new ceramic lines for the garden. She stopped working as a ceramicist in 1970.

Mado Jolain

Mado Jolain & René Legrand

Maison Bagues

Maison Lunel

Marguerite Le Maire is a French Illustrator and textile designer. This double vocation allows her to conceive audacious and tailor-made rugs and carpets. Each design is a unique creation that instantly gives singularity to the room that it inhabits.

Marguerite le Maire

Spockdesign a design studio launched in 2001 with a purpose of encompassing experimentation, tinkering, and focusing on process embeded with research, as well as utilizing the talents of craftspeople, Spockdesign has evolved into a small, dedicated design studio with a wealth of connections and partners in design, sourcing and fabrication.

MARIAGROUP is a design studio led by the brother and sister duo Georges and Michèle Maria. The practice undertakes works of all scales, spanning from small interior projects to large urban plans, from conception to delivery. MARIAGROUP begins all projects from a standpoint that is decidedly architectural, responding to each brief with space in mind. Committed belief understanding that architecture is shaped by a collaborative confluence of design ideals, tectonic (or material) knowledge, and (const ruct ion) craftsmanship, they seek to create for each project a unique world of real physical experiences and journeys.

Their work stems from a strong desire: to translate need into built form and create a sense of excitement; to craft a story of everyday life into a poetic and unexpected gesture.

MARIAGROUP + spockdesign

Maria Pergay was born in Moldavia in and emigrated to Paris in 1937. In 1947, she studied at ITEC as well as at the workshop of Zadkine.

Pergay began her career in the late 1950s by making forged iron pieces studded with semi-precious stones and seashells for window display for fashion houses.

Her success quickly grew and, within a few years, she began to create a unique collection of contemporary silver objects. In 1968, pergay exhibited a collection of stainless steel furniture at Galerie Maison et Jardin. She was one of the first to work in this material and her pieces were known for their jewelry-like refinement and sculptural qualities.

Maria Pergay

Hauner & Eisler were the primary designers for the iconic Brazilian furniture company Forma – their work counts as one of the best examples of the mastery of Designers in Brazil in the 1950s and 60s.

Born in Brescia, Italy, Hauner studied design in Milan and immigrated to Brazil in the late 40s.

Martin Eisler was born in Vienna, Austria, where he studied architecture. In 1938 he moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he began exhibiting his furniture designs.

After meeting Hauner in Brazil, he started traveling there frequently to collaborate on designs and, with E. J. Wolf, who became the company’s director, they founded Forma to sell their own designs as well as pieces licensed from Knoll International.

Martin Eisler & Carlo Hauner

Martin Szekely is the son of ceramist Véra Székely and sculptor Pierre Székely. His work comes to prominence with his design of the « Pi » long chair in 1982.

Szekely both works with exclusive design editors like Neotu Gallery, Kreo Gallery or Domeau & Pérès, and industrials like Perrier, Heineken, or JC Decaux.

Some of his objects have reached a very large audience like the Perrier glass which was produced in 20 million units. His limited edition items have become highly sought after by power design collectors like Azzedine Alaïa.

His designs are among the collections of many important museums like Paris’ musée des Arts Décoratifs, MOMA or Mudam.

In 2011, Paris’ Pompidou Center offered him a solo show entitled « Ne pas dessiner » .

Martin Szekely

Maxime Old, born, in Maisons-Alfort, a Parisian suburb, came from a lineage of fine cabinet makers in the Faubourg St. Antoine, a hub of this craft. He joined the family business after being urged by his mother to modernize their traditional trade. Although his background emphasized tradition, his furniture designs were refreshingly non-traditional.

Maxime’s career took shape when he worked with Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann until 1934, which exposed him to luxury and fine design. However, Maxime’s aesthetic is characterized by sleek, modern, and sculptural furniture, often devoid of embellishments.

Functionalism and comfort were essential in Maxime’s work, along with the use of both rare and accessible woods, such as oak, cherry, ash, and walnut. His designs favored perfect proportions, clean lines, and subtle angles, occasionally enhanced with bronze accents or fittings. His work was featured in influential design periodicals, and he received commissions from prestigious entities (The Mobilier Nationale, resulting in projects for the City Hall in Paris and the French Ministries in The Hague and Helsinki).

Maxime Old

Fontana Arte, founded in 1933 by Luigi Fontana, Gio Ponti, and Pietro Chiesa, is a legendary Italian design company celebrated for its mastery of glass craftsmanship and innovation in lighting and furniture design.

The brand quickly gained an international reputation for marrying traditional techniques with modern aesthetics, becoming a symbol of refined taste and contemporary elegance.

In 1954, Max Ingrand (1908–1969), the visionary French glassmaker and decorator, became Fontana Arte’s artistic director. Bringing with him a profound expertise in stained glass and a passion for colour, Ingrand transformed the company’s creative direction.

His innovative designs combined metal and glass into elegant, refined, and often playful forms that pushed the boundaries of mid-century modern design.

During his tenure, Ingrand collaborated with artists such as Lucio Fontana and architect Roberto Menghi, fostering groundbreaking design projects that elevated Fontana Arte’s status internationally.

Iconic products from this period include the Dahlia chandelier, rare mirrors produced in the 1960s, the unique Model 1963 sconces, and the Omai table lamp, each celebrated for their balance of proportion, beauty, and technical innovation.

Ingrand’s profound understanding of light, colour, and craftsmanship made Fontana Arte a beacon of design excellence throughout the 1950s and 1960s. His signature piece, the Fontana Table Lamp, remains a best-seller more than half a century after its creation, admired for its generous, rounded lines in blown glass and multi-setting illumination.

His work continues to inf luence contemporary lighting design, embodying a unique blend of artistry and functionality that transcends time.

Max Ingrand

Michel Boyer

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a pioneering architect, was a central figure in shaping the International Style of modern architecture, alongside renowned contemporaries like Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius. His iconic status in 20th-century architecture and design is underscored by his famous mottos, including ‘less is more’ and ‘God is in the details.’ Mies’ architectural masterpieces, such as the Barcelona Pavilion, the Seagram Building, and the Farnsworth House, are celebrated landmarks of the 20th century.

Born as Maria Ludwig Michael Mies in Germany, his early passion for architecture was influenced by his stonemason father. Without formal architectural training, he gained practical experience through various apprenticeships in Berlin after completing secondary school. His career advanced when he worked with furniture designer Bruno Paul and secured his first independent house design commission. Mies’ exceptional talent led him to architect Peter Behrens’ studio, where he collaborated with future luminaries like Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius. Although the Weimar Republic fostered creativity after World War I, Mies’ significant works from this period remained on paper.

Driven by a quest for a new architectural vision aligned with modernity, Mies developed avant-garde ideas that revolutionized the built environment. His style emphasized simplicity, industrial materials like steel and glass, and unadorned interiors. In the 1920s and early 1930s, Mies’ reputation soared, and he briefly served as the director of the Bauhaus, an avant-garde art school. In 1937, he relocated to Chicago, where he continued to design, build, and educate. He played a pivotal role as the head of the College of Architecture at the Armour Institute in Chicago, shaping both the curriculum and the campus.

After the upheaval of World War II, Mies received numerous commissions, enabling him to create large-scale projects, particularly pioneering steel-and-glass skyscrapers. Notable works include the Lake Shore Drive Apartments in Chicago and the Seagram Building in New York City. In the 1960s, he continued to design public centers, urban-renewal projects, libraries, and offices across the Americas, Mexico, and Europe. Despite his esteemed reputation, Mies lived alone in his spacious Chicago apartment by Lake Michigan until his passing in 1969.

Mies Van der Rohe

Móveis Linfor

Olivier Gagnère

Osvaldo Borsani

Architect, artist and designer, Patrick Naggar received his diploma in Architecture (DPLG) from the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and a Master degree in Urban Studies from the University of Paris VIII. Naggar considers architecture as a central knowledge, encompassing interior design, furniture and product design, a catalyst of ideas, forms, plastic and artistic research, in order to create spaces and objects for our environment. Bringing myth and science, acient and modern cultures, the functional and the symbolic closer together, mixing noble and poor materials, his designs all tell us a story.

Designers

Mado Jolain & René Legrand

More Designers

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

J

L

M

O

P

R

S

V

Z

É