Pattricia Urquiola Biography
Patricia Urquiola is a Spanish designer born in Oviedo in 1961. Her training began at the Universidad Politécnica of Madrid, where she became passionate about architecture. He subsequently moved to Milan, where he graduated from the Polytechnic in 1989 with a thesis entitled "Living as a system". During her studies, Urquiola was supported by the maestro Achille Castiglioni, who guided her talent towards product design. Her career began with a series of collaborations, including those with Castiglioni himself, Eugenio Botticelli, Maddalena De Padova and Vico Magistretti, the latter introducing her to the design group of Lissoni Associati.
In 2001 Urquiola opened his studio in Milan, which currently has a team of around 70 people. The studio deals with the design of objects, interiors, architecture, exhibition and event setups, as well as creations in the hospitality sector. His projects draw inspiration from the materials, techniques and figurative tradition of his homeland, reinterpreting them in a contemporary and innovative way. Recycled materials such as glass, terracotta, plastic and fabrics are used to create products that combine high craftsmanship with technological innovation. The objects conceived reflect a traditional and familiar aesthetic, characterized at the same time by originality and uniqueness.
In 2015 Patricia Urquiola became the artistic director of Cassina, for which she designed products such as the Floe Insel sofa and the Bowy Sofa modular seating system. He also collaborates with some of the most important design brands, creating iconic products such as the Comback chairs for Kartell, the Antibodi chaise longue for Moroso, the Objets Nomades for Louis Vuitton, the Tuffy Time sofas for B&B and the Azulej terracotta collection for Mutina. Other brands he has collaborated with include Alessi, Molteni, Boffi, Driade, Flos and Axor-Hansgrohe. Furthermore, the Urquiola studio has created installations for exhibitions such as "Ferrari: under the skin" at the Design Museum in London and "A Castiglioni" at the Triennale in Milan, as well as projects for hospitality facilities such as the Mandarin Oriental in Barcelona, the Das Stue in Berlin and the Sereno hotel in Como.
Patricia Urquiola's works are exhibited in numerous museums, including the MoMa in New York, the Design Museum in Zurich, the Vitra Museum in Basel, the Stedelijk in Amsterdam, the Les Arts decoratifs in Paris and the Museo della Triennale in Milan . During her career she received several awards and recognitions, including the Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes awarded by the Spanish government, the Order of Isabella the Catholic awarded to her by His Majesty the King of Spain Juan Carlos I. She was named Designer of the Decade by the German magazines Home and Häuser, as well as Designer of the Year by Wallpaper, Ad Spain, Elle Decor International and Architektur und Wohnen Magazine.
