Filippo Carandini: Collectible Design as a Form of Art

Filippo Carandini, a Florence-born artist represented by Nilufar Gallery in Milan, blends fine arts training with collectible design to create furniture that evokes emotion. In an interview with Giacomo Nicolella Maschietti for Collezione da Tiffany, Carandini discusses how his Florentine roots influence his pursuit of proportion and elegance, though he had to leave the city to find his own voice. He rejects labels like 'designer' or 'painter,' describing his objects as pretexts for representing something beyond themselves. His choice of materials—bronze, wood, glass, lacquer—is emotional, not technical, helping to evoke inner worlds. Travel inspires his work, but he often designs objects before visiting the places that influence them, creating a distilled nostalgia. Carandini sees collectible design as a liberating field where production costs are not minimized, allowing creative freedom. He argues that the rise of collectible design stems from a crisis in contemporary art, where the definition of art has become arbitrary. His ideal object would generate an irresistible desire for possession, bypassing rationality. Carandini's works include the Khaimà cabinet, Kerià chandelier, Cernos valet stand, Knossiana lamps, Mensa dining table, and Noctua table, all part of collections like New Pompeii and Muse.