People often talk about having second or even third winds these days; career shifts that respond to the ever-changing demands of an increasingly volatile economy and job market. Turin-born entrepreneur, financier, and artist Enrico Marone Cinzano has had many and is the wiser for it. From time spent in advertising, banking, and real estate, he went on to help establish pioneering eco-friendly fashion label Project Alabama and, more recently, the slow but assured cultivation of an art furniture practice rooted in his undying commitment to sustainability, but more importantly his understanding of nature’s inherent truth, beauty, and logic.
Enrico Marone Cinzano presents 'Obsessed by Nature'
'The inspiration for the “Basculante” chair came from contrasting sources, one the feminine, inspired by the comfort of nursing chairs, which are so soothing and comfortable, and one the masculine, inspired by the aggressiveness and comfort of a recovered Ferrari leather chair. The actual piece is mounted on a structure made of glass with metal moving parts. Again, contrasting ends of the spectrum. As in nature, opposites not only attract, but complement each other, and the engineering, as much as it looks simple, was actually a feat brought about by a true evolution of trials and errors' – Enrico Marone Cinzano
On view at New York collectible design gallery Friedman Benda, from 14 November to 14 December 2024, his first solo show – entitled 'Obsessed by Nature' – will debut 11 distinct works: cohesively collaged-together luminaires, chairs, and tables that cohere the innate functionality of forms found in nature, with repurposed industrial components. This cumulative but by no means conclusive capsule collection is very much the sum of its parts; the result of the self-taught designer’s atypical career path and agile skill set. Ahead of the exhibition, which is set to be immersive and have multisensorial elements, such as the diffusion of a bespoke scent, Marone Cinzano spoke to Wallpaper* about his background, design philosophy, and what this first retrospective incorporates.
The ‘Dondolo’ chair
A close-up look at the ‘Dondolo’ chair
Wallpaper*: How did you develop an appreciation for sustainability?
Enrico Marone Cinzano: I got involved in an art project 20 years ago in which we turned old jerseys into T-shirts. The plan was to produce 200 but many more orders came in and so it became a company that lasted seven years. I really got into sustainability because we were using recycled material and natural dyes. When you delve deep, it opens up a portal and it’s hard to shake. Even though my partners and I had folded Project Alabama, I kept the resourceful mindset we had fostered and became quite self-sufficient; creating my own clothes and even a few furniture pieces out of natural and discarded elements I found around me.
The Marmo table made from hand carved Carrara marble
W*: Talk more about how you transitioned in making furniture.
EMC: I started showing the work to people I knew and eventually started collaborating with a gallery in China that stipulated that I produce everything there. At the time, sustainability wasn’t a big thing in China yet. It was a learning process and I made mistakes along the way.
With time, I found out about Friedman Benda and how the gallery’s co-founder and principal Marc Benda really nurtured his artists rather than only being concerned with the commercial side of things. I reached out to him and he gave me good advice and told me to come back with more ideas. We’ve worked together closely for the past six years and I’ve shown work a few times as part of group displays at fairs like Design Miami. During that time, I delved even further into sustainability and how it started to emerge as a topic even in the investment sector. I expanded my appreciation and understanding and came to the realisation: we live in such a chaotic world but nature seems to have all the answers.
The ‘Piego’ chair in red Jasper and painted steel
W*: You’ve previously mentioned that you’re fascinated by the natural logic of the golden ratio. What are some other overarching qualities from nature that you are most drawn to?
EMC: I went through quite a tumultuous youth, pushing the metal to the pedal, and got to a point where it wasn’t working anymore. Going to India to train as a certified yoga instructor led me to Buddhism and other teachings but what I ultimately uncovered is that there’s order in nature. It’s scientific, whether it's physics or chemistry or biology, it's mathematical, it's ethical. Everything we’re looking for is right in front of us. This goes for aesthetics and function too. There are already shapes in nature that can serve a purpose, even as elements of furniture.
The ‘Verde’ light is crafted from reclaimed wood, recovered car headlights and finished in polished steel and turquoise stone
W*: What are some of the key highlights of the exhibition?
EMC: 'Obsessed with Nature’ will be my first solo show and it really embodies the full scope of what I’ve been developing for almost a decade. I pay close attention to the materials I use and the craft processes involved in their transformation. For several of the pieces – such as the ‘Piego’ chairs or the ‘Marmo’ table – I worked with stone off-cuts that already had the perfect forms. I interjected the roughness of the marble or agate within the compositions and juxtaposed these materials with extremely highly polished surfaces. With pieces like the standing ‘Verde’ lamp, there is this contrast between the roughness of nature – the reclaimed wood – and technology – recovered car lights.
friedmanbenda.com
enricomaronecinzano.com
-
New York cool meets vintage glamour in Jade Trau's gold and platinum jewelleryJade Trau looks to past eras to bring a design frisson to her chunky gold jewellery
-
Workstead's lanterns combine the richness of silk with a warm glowAn otherworldly lamp collection, the Lantern series by Workstead features raw silk shades and nostalgic silhouettes in three designs
-
Head to Lupa for a taste of Rome in the heart of HighburyEd Templeton, Theo James and Naz Hassan unveil an intimate 28-seat restaurant that balances a cosy, candlelit atmosphere with Roman-style dining
-
Workstead's lanterns combine the richness of silk with a warm glow
An otherworldly lamp collection, the Lantern series by Workstead features raw silk shades and nostalgic silhouettes in three designs
-
Can creativity survive in the United States?We asked three design powerhouses to weigh in on this political moment
-
Murray Moss: 'We must stop the erosion of our 250-year-old American culture'Murray Moss, the founder of design gallery Moss and consultancy Moss Bureau, warns of cultural trauma in an authoritarian state
-
‘You can feel their presence’: step inside the Eameses’ Pacific Palisades residenceCharles and Ray Eames’ descendants are exploring new ways to preserve the designers’ legacy, as the couple’s masterpiece Pacific Palisades residence reopens following the recent LA fires
-
2025’s Wallpaper* US issue is on sale now, celebrating creative spirit in turbulent timesFrom a glitterball stilt suit to the Eames House, contemporary design to a century-old cocktail glass – the August 2025 US issue of Wallpaper* honours creativity that shines and endures. On newsstands now
-
For its New York City debut, Formafantasma goes back to basicsOn view at Friedman Benda this summer, the show is the result of the Milan-based studio's ongoing fascination with history, technology and domesticity
-
Five things we loved at ICFF this yearFrom ceramic sconces to inflatables, here's the furniture and lighting that caught our eye
-
‘Boom: Art and Design in the 1940s’ explores the creative resilience of the decadeNoguchi and Nakashima are among those who found expression and innovation in the adversity of the 1940s; take a walk through the Philadelphia Museum of Art exhibition
