About Diego Fortunato

diego-fortunato

As a child, I used to draw robots all the time. Some of these early drawings (from when I was five years old) were preserved by my father and became an art installation a zillion years later at Sketch London in 2014. Later on, Sir Paul Smith decided to show them in some of his flagships and sell them online as prints.

I started my product design career in 1995 when a manufacturer asked me to design a chair. As I've never done a mass production object before, I took the challenge and came up with a concept that was a best seller for many years. That led to many other products for several companies when "the terror of the new" wasn't yet installed in the soul of the company's owners/directors.

I'm self-taught, but I've managed to make my ideas alive in many different shapes and countries during the last 30 years. From product design to art installations, sculpture, graphic design and branding. I feel it wasn't an ego trip but a constant search for meaning, purpose, essence, beauty, and fun!

Some of my long-lasting designs became best sellers over the years, like the Stone-Wool rugs collection for Nani Marquina that has been in the market for more than 20 years. Same for the Jazz Lamp for Vibia and the Sit Street Furniture collection for Escofet.

From 2012 to 2019, I was the creative director at the Coll & Cortés Gallery (London and Madrid) and from 2015 to 2019 of Colnaghi (London and New York), following its acquisition by Coll & Cortés. In 2016 I've designed Colnaghi’s 400 sq. metre gallery on Bury Street in London's St. James's. I've created a distinctive gallery space suited to the challenges of art dealing in the 21st century, while at the same time respecting the historic traditions of Colnaghi, which is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious art dealerships.

Source: www.diegofortunato.com

Diego Fortunato Collection

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Extra Chair

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Extra Armchair

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