Italian painter, sculptor and interior decorator Piero Fornasetti (1913-1988) created thousands of iconic homeware items bearing the face of one woman - operatic soprano Lina Cavalieri - whose face he described as "a quintessentially beautiful and classic image, like a Greek statue, enigmatic like La Gioconda [the Mona Lisa]". His son, Barnaba Fornasetti (above), who continues to design in his father's name, explains the enduring allure of Fornasetti, as revealed in a new range of scented candles (below) available at Lane Crawford.
"I do not believe in modernity. In particular, I do not believe in the pernicious aspect of the pursuit of modernity that is often [seen as] most important in the field of arts. Having said that, the Fornasetti style is actually contemporary: Lina's face is not designed from the 50s, but crosses all ages. Fornasetti is also a status symbol for high-end, high-value people."
"People of all ages, all social levels and all cultural categories. Mainly all Fornasetti creations have a use, but people often buy them for the aesthetic pleasure and for the decoration itself, keeping them just as a totem."