Makers & Designers

Piero Fornasetti was one of the most inventive and prolific designers of the twentieth century. He was born in Milan and although his father had plans for him to take over the successful family business, the youngster rebelled and was determined to be an artist instead. He attended the Accademia di Brera and the Scuola Superiore at Castello Sforzesco in Milan but failed to complete the course at either institution after rebelling against the dogmatic and narrow focus of the curriculums. Through self-study and practical experiment, Fornasetti mastered a variety of printing techniques and invented new and innovative was of printing cutting-edge design on utilitarian objects and accessories. His eclectic style draws on a myriad of historical, literary and aesthetic inspirations that marry imaginative and theatrical decoration with refined and functional craftsmanship. He collaborated with leading Italian architect and designer Gio Ponti, publisher of the influential interiors magazine Domus, to transform objects, surfaces and spaces, and enhance the way that people experience their lived environments. His output includes drawings, paintings, prints, posters, books, fabric design, furniture, ceramics and household accessories.

"What I was doing was something more than decoration. It was an invitation to imagine, to think, to escape from the things that surround us, which are too mechanised and inhuman. They were a passport to the realm of imagination."

Piero Fornasetti