Journal

A rare conversation with Riccardo Monachesi, one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Italian handmade ceramics. From gilded mirrors to sculptural wings, he discusses tradition, materiality, and the deeper truths clay can hold.

In her garden studio in Varese, Italian ceramic artist Lucia Zamberletti transforms clay into sculptural poems inspired by nature’s quiet resilience. Her Italian handmade ceramics, from the blooming totems of Bloomen to the organic forms of Funghi, explore beauty through imperfection and time. Guided by intuition and tradition, Zamberletti’s work celebrates the intimate dialogue between material, maker, and the living world.

In the first half of XXth century, Laveno Mombello became one of Italy’s most important centres for ceramics — where art and industry merged to shape modern design. This story traces the evolution of Italian ceramics through Antonia Campi’s sculptural innovation and Gio Ponti’s industrial vision, introducing Lucia Zamberletti as a contemporary designer continuing this region’s quiet dialogue between craft, form, and emotion.

In the Veneto heartland of Bassano and Nove, where Italian handmade ceramics have long been a language of craft and culture, Alessio Tasca transformed clay into architecture. Guided by Gio Ponti’s vision of design, he redefined what it means for the handmade to become modern — and timeless.