Enzo Mari

Enzo Mari was an Italian postmodernist artist and designer who was born in Novara and studied at the Accademia delle Belle Arti in Milan, where he studied painting, sculpture and stage design. Alongside his studies, he also began his design work, at first as personal, formal research, and later in collaboration with numerous industrial companies. In 1956, the same year he graduated, he participated in the avant-garde design movements and joined the Kinetic Art group “Arte Programmata.” It is in this group that Mari met artist and designer Bruno Munari, whose influence can be seen in some of his earliest designs.

Mari's work has been internationally acclaimed and considered to be among the most representative of Italian design. It was distinguished by constant research and experimentation with new product forms and meanings, often set in contrast with the traditional norms of industrial design. He was awarded the Compasso d’Oro three times, and his artworks and objects are included in the collections of several contemporary art museums.

"Form is everything and design is death." - Enzo Mari