Gino SARFATTI

Gino Sarfatti started studying aeronautics engineering at the University of Genoa but had to drop out in 1929 due to money issues. He became a Murano representative in Milan. In 1939, he established ArteLuce, which soon became an international reference regarding luminaire design. In 1941, racial laws were proclaimed in Italy and Gino Sarfatti was forced to find refuge in Switzerland. While he was away, his workshop was destroyed. Four years after, he came back to his home country, rebuilt and bought back the ArteLuce workshop. In 1956, he starts the Italian Association for Design (IAD). By using Plexiglas or halogen, Gino Sarfatti revolutionizes luminaire creation. He is now considered one of the greatest designers of the 20th century.