THE FACE OF MODERN DESIGN

At 83 years old, Gaetano Pesce the legend of Italian art, architecture, and beyond has been reimagining everyday objects and furniture in vibrant new ways for decades. Now, the culture is finally catching up to him.

- SAMI REISS

Gaetano Pesce doesn't care much for right angles. The eminent Italian architect and designer has created, over the course of his long career, a massive body of work mostly without them. The shapes that scatter the 83-year-old's workshop are abstract and futuristic. Pesce's work is alive and in motion, writhing with energy. His pieces often seem to be telling a joke, or else they ooze comically into space. Recently, the themes that Pesce has been perfecting for years have caught on in the culture. Bottega Veneta creative director Matthieu Blazy commissioned him to make a series of 400 Come Stai? chairs for its summer 2023 collection show in Milan. (Then Kate Moss posed on one for a campaign.) They are available now on the fashion brand's website with prices ranging from $6,500 to $9,800. Gallerist Jeffrey Deitch has been known to lounge on a couple of the Pescedesigned sofas in his LA home. One, in the shape of a salmon, a bear, and a toucan, is hardly recognizable as a sofa at all.