Pietro Chiesa

Art deco designer Pietro Chiesa was born in Milan in 1892, into a family of artists from Ticino, Switzerland. After studying at the Accademia de Belle Arti di Brera and training as an apprentice at the studio of furniture designer Giovan Battista Giannotti (both in Milan), Chiesa opened his own studio, Bottega di Pietro Chiesa, in 1921.

Best known for his glassware, Chiesa presented his work for the first time at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris. In 1933, Bottega di Pietro Chiesa merged with Fontana Arte, the Italian manufacturer of furnishings, glass, and lighting, which was launched by Gio Ponti and Luigi Fontana in 1932. Chiesa became the firm’s art director and ultimately designed numerous objects for Fontana Arte, including lamps, glass windows, tables, and objets d’art. Notable pieces include the Fontana table (1932), which was made from a single band of bent, clear glass, the Cartoccio vase (1932), and the lacquered brass Luminator floor lamp (1933).

Chiesa passed away in Paris in 1948.