Cara \ Davide
Roberto Lucchinetti

CARA \ DAVIDE is a multi-faceted art studio based in Milan, operating at the intersection of interiors, furnishings and collectible design. Their work is process-driven, grounded in continuous research into materials, context and perception. Central to their practice is the self-production of limited editions, developed in close dialogue with artisans working across various materials. They also partner with brands to create furniture and interior design collections for shops, homes and exhibition settings. Both founders teach at the Product Design Department of the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) in Milan and Como. The studio is a joint venture between Cara Judd (South Africa) and Davide Gramatica (Italy), who create personal works and limited editions in collaboration with skilled artisans in Italy and South Africa. 

Roberto Lucchinetti was born in Piuro, in the province of Sondrio, in 1961. After working on construction sites in Switzerland for a few years, he decided to pursue his passion for soapstone, a material typical of the Valchiavenna. This fine-grained stone, greyish-green in colour with subtle white and black veins, is renowned and highly sought-after across Europe, particularly for utensils used for cooking and preserving food. When the last workshop in the valley closed, Lucchinetti bravely set about reviving the tradition of hollowing and working soapstone. He began as a self-taught craftsman, with no formal art education or tutoring—what he did know, however, was how to quarry the stone and let it reveal its beauty. After mastering the art of hand-turning, he started to craft timeless objects that honoured tradition while also developing innovative and creative shapes, including pots, vessels, pans, glasses, trays, bowls, mortars, buckets, vases and masks. His favourite exhibition space is his old-fashioned workshop in Prosto di Piuro, housed in a small 18th-century riverside building, where every corner is used for both working and displaying his pieces. Throughout his career, he has received various accolades, including the title of MAM-Maestro d’Arte e Mestiere, awarded by the Fondazione Cologni.