massimo iosa ghini's sinuosa collection celebrates natuzzi italia's tradition of comfort

MASSIMO IOSA GHINI’S SOFT AND ENVELOPING DESIGN REVEAL A CONNECTION WITH NATURE

for his first collaboration with natuzzi italia, italian designer massimo iosa ghini takes to nature as a model of inclusive beauty that can lead to a renewed idea of balance and harmony. titled sinuosa and composed of a sofa, a chair and a table, the collection celebrates the made in italy lifestyle brand’s tradition of comfort. throughout its soft and enveloping design, the pieces reveal a connection with the natural world’s organic forms, reflecting a design that prioritizes well-being in the domestic space.

‘the study of nature has often influenced architecture and design: I have drawn inspiration from the formal research of art nouveau, jugendstil and stile liberty designers, timeless stylistic points of reference, modernizing them to meet the needs of contemporary wellness design,’ said massimo iosa ghini. ‘the domestic space, as a point of reference for individual expression, requires comfort and rediscovered naturalness. I wanted to rediscover, in upholstered furniture, the idea of the primitive sofa on which you don’t sit down composedly, but rather throw yourself onto it, jumping on it with a dynamic movement because you are sure to find the softness of a natural, welcoming womb. and after launching yourself onto it, you experience it in all its dimensions, certain that it will adapt to you and not vice versa.’

MASSIMO IOSA GHINI’S SINUOSA COLLECTION FOR NATUZZI ITALIA

iosa ghini is one of the eight designers PJ natuzzi — natuzzi italia’s chief creative officer — hand-picked to be part of this year’s circle of harmony — live the transition. the project has seen the likes of sabine marcelis, elena salmistraro, lorenza bozzoli, patrick norguet, and marco piva translate the feeling of constant change and transition towards the unknown we are currently living.

‘I met PJ natuzzi through his father, pasquale,’ iosa ghini recalled. ‘I immediately understood there was a strong bond of continuity between them. I am a friend of pasquale’s and I think I know him quite well. PJ is very dedicated to his work, and this continuity is very interesting as pasquale sr. is very much interested in the themes of tradition, of comfort which mixes very well with PJ’s vision which is more communicative, more fluid and more oriented to the the future.’

the rejuvenating and reassuring sensations of the apulian landscape inspired massimo iosa ghini’s collection for natuzzi italia, allowing him to create lines that appear molded by a vital impulse.

‘sinuosa is a family of objects which gets its inspiration from softness, something which characterizes natuzzi,’ massimo iosa ghini told designboom during a trip to puglia. ‘curve and fluid lines, connected to the idea of comfort, link tradition together with the spirit of looking forward, to contemporaneity.’

TAKING NATUZZI ITALIA’S TRADITIONS TO CONTEMPORANEITY

available in two-seater and three-seater versions, the juno sofa is a symbol of mediterranean comfort. it features an enveloping shape that evokes that of a cozy nest that embraces the body. its soft and inviting aesthetic harmoniously contrasts with the rigid flaps that define the lines of the backrest and armrests. the seams highlight the natural lines along the profile without interrupting the volumes.

‘the archetypical shape of the sofa is the one that points at welcoming,’ iosa ghini continued. ‘juno, also in the sense of ‘junoesque’, is a sofa with generous dimensions, comfortable like a cocoon, which is how every natuzzi upholstered piece should look like. the interesting element is to try and create something which looks at the traditions of natuzzi but that also looks contemporary.’

the beat chair continues with the enveloping concept of the sofa, where lines that resemble a corolla of petals contain and support the seat. generous padding adds to the welcoming and reassuring visual effect. available in leather or fabric, the armchair offers a seamless transition between living and dining areas.

‘the armchair is very much inspired by the sofa, and it has to express comfort so that one can use it daily and for may hours straight, as nowadays people tend to spend more time in the dining area, not eating but working,’ the designer recalls.

last but not least, the gutta table draws from organic profiles and defines the vision of the designer who was keen to push the boundaries of aesthetics applied to design. available with a round or oval top, the design defines its contours, starting from the foot all the way to the top. the legs have been shaped by their function, while the top resembles that of an irregular body of water, reflecting its surroundings.

‘the dining area is more important than in the past, as it is also a working space now,’ explained iosa ghini. ‘you need a different comfort: the table is multifunctional but also the multidirectional, as it has an organic shape that you can approach from each and every side.’

with sinuosa, massimo iosa ghini joins natuzzi italia’s circle of harmony — live the transition. overall, the collection showcases how creatives are meeting the new needs this particular times are bringing.

‘I believe in the next years we will be required to use a lot of creativity in the domestic spaces because the paradigm has changed,’ the italian designer concluded. ‘the darwinian division of the space has gone – the domestics space, the office, the show, the cinema, the theatre – as they are all places in which to live. comfortable spaces, where one feels good and where one can develop different activities as life has become more fluid and the division of roles and functions are less and less important. as creatives we will be challenged and we have a huge space to work on, due to the liberation from these functions, and we will be called to give context in order for these new functions to be able to be expressed.’