Ettore Sottsass

Colour, Freedom and Radical Design

Ettore Sottsass Jr. (1917–2007) was one of the leading figures in twentieth-century Italian and international design. An architect and designer, he moved beyond the boundaries of functionalism, introducing colour, irony and a strong expressive dimension into everyday objects.

From his collaborations with Olivetti, for whom he designed the celebrated Valentine typewriter (1969) with Perry King, to his experiments with Poltronova, Bitossi and Alessi, his work explored a wide range of materials, forms and visual languages. In 1981, the founding of Memphis marked a turning point in Radical Design and Postmodernism, with saturated colours, bold geometries and decorative laminates.

Among his most recognisable works are the Ultrafragola mirror (1970) for Poltronova and the Carlton bookcase (1981) for Memphis, alongside his ceramics for Bitossi and objects from the Twergi collection for Alessi.

Throughout a career spanning art and industry, and through collaborations with companies such as Olivetti, Poltronova, Bitossi, Alessi and Venini, Sottsass radically transformed the language of objects, leaving a defining legacy in postmodern design and vintage design.