Ludovica Serafini + Roberto Palomba
Anita Cerrato
Palomba Serafini is the name of the firm founded in Milan in 1994 by architect and designer team Ludovica Serafini and Roberto Palomba. The distinctive nature of their partnership is displayed by their ability to blend a contemporary vision of society and human needs with a deep understanding of the historical and cultural roots of design. The results merge past and future in an approach they term “holistic”. Their design philosophy brings man and architecture, space and sensations, concrete matter and subconscious together. In thirty years of work, their projects have received more than 70 international awards such as the Golden Compass, Elle Decoration International Design Award, Red Dot, Design Plus, Good Design Award, German Design Award and Ahead Award. They create architectures and exhibitions worldwide, and collaborate or serve as art directors for some of the most renowned international design brands including Poltrona Frau, Kartell, Artemide, Samsung, Benetti, Talenti, Giorgetti, Maserati and Zanotta.
Anita Cerrato is a restorer and writer, and has worked independently in the field of restoration and gilding since 1995. Her teachers include distinguished names of the likes of Franco Sabatelli, Gacarù, Gioachino Giussani, Franco de Ruvo and Gennaro Pazienza. Leveraging her knowledge in the fields of restoration, gilding and the Oriental world at large (she is an AICS instructor of taijiquan), Anita has come to specialise in the kintsugi technique thanks to master craftsman Iku Nishigawa, who lives and works in Oxford, and Sensei Sato Takahiko, from Kyoto. She is learning the maki-e (lacquering) technique under the guidance of Sensei Matsuda Shokan. In 2015, she founded Kintsu Handmade for which she produces crafted articles using the highest quality materials. She collaborates with prestigious universities, museums, foundations, and the Japanese Consulate. Since 2017, she has run courses in oncology wards on a voluntary basis. Equally important are non-profit projects such as “Kintsugiamomilano” and courses held in hospitals and charitable organisations. For years now, she has combined her restoration work with a writing career: her latest book is aptly titled “Kintsugi, a Journey to Discover the Orient” (published by Stilnovo).
