Studio AMeBE: Designers Alessandra Mantovani and Eleonora Barbareschi on Their Practice

Studio AMeBE, founded by Alessandra Mantovani and Eleonora Barbareschi, gained prominence in 2010 with "Finger-Dip," latex thimbles for eating with hands, winning the Red Dot Product Design Award. The duo, whose name is an acronym of their initials and inspired by the amoeba's transformative nature, balances conventional projects, consulting, and experimental design. They have collaborated with Gaetano Pesce, RIVA1920, SELETTI, MODO, and Chinese furniture brand ADWIN, and received awards including Fedrigoni Top Awards, Torino Digital Festival, and Red Dot Concept Design Award in Singapore. Currently represented by Galleria David Gill, they were preparing a new London collection before lockdown. Their design philosophy balances folly and reason, rigor and disorder, sacred and profane, aiming to evoke Italian heritage through iconic, theatrical pieces. They critique Italy's gender inequality in design, noting that despite early success, they still face ageism and lack of trust compared to male colleagues. They advise young designers to seek meritocratic companies, citing Brianza as an example. During the 2020 pandemic, they continued working despite distribution halts and sales drops, emphasizing Italian resilience. Their creative process is non-linear, inspired by diverse sources like materials, philosophy, or music, and they describe their projects as unique creations akin to children. They dream of living to 120 to realize multiple future projects.