design magazine

Article by Konstantinos Deloudis
Posted on March 20th, 2012
in Design & Luca Nichetto

Les Poupées, meaning dolls in french, is a first collaboration between Italian designer Luca Nichetto and French gallerist Pascale Cottard Olsson in Stockholm. The series consists of a candle holder in ceramic and a vase in glass, elegantly combined in one object. However, it is not the multifunction that is the heart of this project, but rather the melting pot of different cultures.

When asked to do a product for the french-swedish gallery, Nichettos main aim was to capture the different cultures coming together in this collaboration. Drawing inspiration from Finnish, Italian and Japanese design tradition, Nichetto cites the simplicity and purity of the Finnish artist and designer Timo Sarpaneva, as well as the combination of colors and materials used in Italian architect Ettore Sottsas well known totem vessels, as two influencing sources. The japanese wooden dolls, also called Kokeshi, has also served as an influence for les Poupées.

To work in glass and ceramic was very natural to Nichetto, as both materials are part of the Italian tradition. Glass is also a material with which he is strongly connected, as he comes from a family of glassmakers on the island of Murano in Venice. It is also where he grew up and started his career. In addition to his studio in Venice, last year Nichetto opened a second studio in Stockholm, now dividing his time between Italy and Sweden.