An established Italian painter, sculptor, craftsman, and decorator, Piero Fornasettimaintained a highly original style throughout his career. He developed an eclectic style, based on 1900s motifs inspired by Neo-Classicism and Early Renaissanceornamental and pictorial motifs. He created furniture, ceramics and decorative objects. Piero Fornasetti was also influenced by Surrealism and metaphysical painting. In 1930 he started to study at the Accademia di Belle Arti Brera in Milan but was expelled in 1932. Piero Fornasetti carried on painting and in 1933 he showed his works of art at the Triennale in Milan, including painted silk scarves, which impressed Gio Ponti. Afterwards, Piero Fornasetti started to collaborate with him on various projects: they decorated a casino in San Remo in 1950 and they designed the interiors of one of the most important transatlantics of the time ‘Andrea Doria’. A following successful project was the Architettura where Gio Pontidesigned furniture while Piero Fornasetti was in charge of decorations. Eventually they showed their works at the Triennale. Piero Fornasetti‘s furniture featured trompe-l’oeil motifs portraying musical instruments, large suns while women’s faces were used to decorate the Tema e Variazioni works. In 1970, Piero Fornasettiopened a studio in Milan where he presented his own works. Barnaba, Piero Fornasetti‘s son, continues to produce the most famous furnishings and he creates new models remaining faithful to the manufactural tradition to keep the incomparable style of these remarkable hand painted works of art alive

Biography:

• 1913        Born in Milan
• 1930-32   Studied at Accademia di Belle Arti in Milan, Italy.
• 1940        Started to collaborate with Giò Ponti on many projects in Milano, Italy
• 1943-46   Exiled to Switzerland
• 1946        Returned to Milan, Italy
• 1951        Expanded his studio in Milan, Italy
• 1959        Received the prize at the Neiman- Marcus Awards in the fashion sector
• 1970        Founded the Bibliofili gallery in Milan, Italy
• 1988        Died in Milan, Italy

Photo Credits: Franco Petazzi.