Antonia Campi (1921–2019) Sanitary ware set from the Gardena collection for Lavenia, Laveno

Antonia Campi (1921–2019)
Sanitary ware set from the Gardena collection for Lavenia, Laveno

Antonia Campi was a prominent figure in 20th-century Italian design. After graduating in sculpture from the Brera Academy in 1947, she began her career at the Società Ceramica Italiana in Laveno, developing an enduring interest in contemporary production. During the 1950s and 1960s, she also turned her attention to Mamoli—a tapware company founded by her friend Spartaco Mamoli—collaborating informally to suggest material innovations and contribute to product evolution. In 2011, she received the Compasso d’Oro for Lifetime Achievement in recognition of her lasting influence on design, with works exhibited in international museums such as MoMA in New York and the V&A in London.

Founded in 1856 in Laveno (near the Lago Maggiore shore) by Revelli, Caspani and Carnelli, the Italian Ceramic Society (S.C.I.), under the artistic direction of renowned personalities, distinguished itself worldwide for its creations that have taken many different forms. Thanks to the merger with the Richard-Ginori company in 1965, the dishes of the society began to be exported overseas and graced the dinner tables of large cruise ships. The genius of the artistic personalities determined the true success of the company. In this continuous flow of inspiration, the work of the artistic director Guido Andlovitz exchanges with the ideas of the great designer Giò Ponti, who was active in Richard-Ginori even before the merger.
In the late Forties, Antonia Campi joins the company as a decoration worker. Immediately, Guido Andlovitz notes her ability and potential qualities, and moves her into the artistic department. She designs hundreds of objects of extraordinary artistic value and innovative character in less than a decade, becoming one of the best known ceramic designers.