Gio Ponti

Gio Ponti was an Italian designer, writer, educator and industrial designer. He began his early career in architecture. Following his degree program at Politecnico di Milano, he worked for Richard Ginori, designing ceramics while maintaining an active architecture practice. He advocated for new approaches in modern home furnishings and founded Domus, a design journal, in 1928. He also acted as director of the Monza Biennial (later the Triennale Milano), and later became a major voice in the arts throughout Italy in the postwar years. From 1936 to 1961, Gio Ponti taught at his alma mater and collaborated with Piero Fornasetti on numerous projects for furniture and interior design. Ponti’s furniture is functional, restrained and structural. When paired with the flamboyant designs of Fornasetti, the juxtaposition of the two designers’ work generated enthusiasm for eccentricity.