Carla Tolomeo

Born in 1941, Carla Tolomeo is universally recognized as the "Lady of the Art of Chairs". Coming from a high-ranking Piedmontese family, she spent her life immersed in a highly respected intellectual environment, cultivating friendships with personalities such as Jorge Luis Borges, Giorgio De Chirico and Marta Marzotto. In 1969 she married the literary critic Giancarlo Vigorelli, to whom she remained linked until his death in 2005.

After a long career in painting, Tolomeo revolutionized her artistic practice in the 1970s, dedicating herself to the creation of the famous sculpture-chairs, presented for the first time at the Galleria Ca' d'Oro in Rome. These works quickly captured international attention, with exhibitions all over the world, from Tel Aviv to Paris, from Moscow to New York. Tolomeo gained further notoriety thanks to her collaboration with the Hermes brand for its Parisian shop windows.

Among her recent collaborations, the project for the "Palace of Arts - Madlena" theater in Belgrade stands out, transformed into an extraordinary work of art thanks to the support of the Zepter family. Her sculpture-chairs, made with precious materials such as velvet, marble and aluminum, are not just design elements, but real textile sculptures that, as the artist herself states, "are places to caress the soul, even if they are very uncomfortable, like life is".

Carla Tolomeo's works are born from a highly intuitive creative process, and their strength lies in the exploration of universal archetypes and concepts such as metamorphosis. Chairs and sofas transform into butterflies, flowers and moons, embodying the continuous passage between existential states and inviting the viewer to an intimate reflection.