Journal

Collect Art Fair 2026 at Somerset House reaffirmed its position as a leading international platform for contemporary craft. This visual narrative reflects on selected works across ceramics, lacquer, wood and metal that formed part of our broader engagement with this year’s edition.

Interview by Amalia Di Lanno Francesca Romana Cicia holding a fractured ceramic vessel set against one of her paintings. Francesca Romana Cicia  is an Italian artist based in Rome. Through painting, sculpture, and installation, she explores the need to investigate that hidden place which preserves the fragments of lived experience. Her practice is rooted in depth, reflection, and an attentive listening to matter. Indeed, blue is the color she feels most connected to—a metaph

Claudio Campana’s practice unfolds at the intersection of theory and making, where art history, technical discipline, and material research converge. Working with scagliola and liquid porcelain, his objects explore technique as a language—shaped by process, variation, and an enduring attention to craft.

Interviewed by Amalia Di Lanno, Vincenzo d’Alba is an architect, designer, and illustrator. An eclectic personality, he boasts a rich and wide-ranging portfolio of projects that reflects a well-established experience across multiple fields. Indeed, he is a multidisciplinary artist who, through different media, is able to communicate and convey his ideas and design vision in a transversal way. An artist fully immersed in the creative process.

Through Intrecci Toscani, Marco Gentili reinterprets ancient Tuscan weaving traditions into contemporary Italian handmade objects. Crafted in small batches, his work celebrates material honesty, slow design, and the enduring presence of the human hand.

Italian ceramic artist Anna Resmini approaches clay as a space of listening rather than control. In this interview, she reflects on Italian ceramics shaped through an intimate dialogue with material.

Rooted in Apulian heritage yet expressed through a contemporary lens, Santo Peccatore is the design-led project of Domenico De Palo — a Designer–Founder whose work embodies the evolution of contemporary Italian ceramic. In this conversation, De Palo reflects on symbolism, materiality, and the dual voice shared between designer and artisan that shapes each sculptural object.

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.

Italian handmade ceramics find new expression in the work of Daniela Moretti, an artist who transforms clay into vessels of memory and presence. Guided by the archetype of the Nest, her sculptural pieces explore fragility, strength, and transformation through techniques such as Kurinuki and Mishima. Each work, produced in small batches, is a silent companion in the home — timeless, collectible, and rooted in Italy’s enduring craft traditions.

Italian designer Cecilia Rinaldi, founder of Atelier Nuanda, is redefining contemporary craft through her innovative woven leather technique. Recognized by AD Italia as one of 2025’s 13 emerging design talents, she bridges heritage and experimentation in works that are both poetic and sustainable. Discover her journey, philosophy, and award-winning creations in our exclusive interview.

Discover Italian handmade ceramics through Etra Masi’s contemporary porcelain in Faenza, where tradition meets sculpture and cultural depth.

A reference guide to Italian handmade ceramics, exploring materials, techniques, and regional traditions shaping contemporary ceramic practice.

Italian ceramicist Alice Reina works exclusively in porcelain, using slab-building and colore in pasta to create sculptural, pigment-infused forms. Each piece is handmade, coloured from within, and crafted with precision. This September, Avant Crafts presents a limited-edition drop of her newest works in Italian handmade ceramic and porcelain.

Italian artisan and textile designer Simone Falli invites us into his Tuscan studio to explore a slower way of making. From hand-built looms to natural dyeing, his philosophy blends sustainability, tradition, and timeless design. Discover how his work embodies the values of slow design UK and why each fibre tells a story.

Discover how Italian handmade ceramics shaped the legacy of design icon Gio Ponti. From his early work at Richard Ginori to the iconic blue-and-white tiles of the Hotel Parco dei Principi, Ponti redefined ceramics as architectural, artistic, and emotionally resonant. This article explores his enduring influence on contemporary designers and the sustainable craftsmanship behind Italy’s most celebrated ceramic regions.

Discover the artistry and heritage of handmade Italian ceramics and porcelain. From vibrant Vietri sul Mare to refined porcelain masterpieces, explore differences in material, independent designers like Alice Reina and Elisabetta D’Arienzo, and sustainable craftsmanship that defines timeless Italian design.