PAOLO BUFFA
Paolo Buffa (b. 1903, Milan – d. 1970) was a highly sought after Italian furniture designer, renowned for executing designs pairing elements of the opulent Neoclassical period with streamlined Art Deco style, resulting in pieces that exhibited a glamorous, old-world, yet modern aesthetic.
Buffa trained at the Politecnico di Milano, graduating in 1927. Upon graduation, he briefly worked for Gio Ponti before partnering with architect Antonio Cassi Ramelli (1905-1980) in 1928 to establish their own design studio in Milan. Buffa and Cassi Ramelli made numerous furniture designs inspired by Classicism, including a dining room, showcased at the Triennale di Milano exhibition of 1930, and others showcased during the 1933 and 1936 Triennale di Milano.
In 1936, Paolo opened his own independent studio where he was successful in presenting traditional Neoclassical motifs and materials; for example, using rich rosewood or supple velvet fabrics with the newer forms and themes of a lighter Art Deco style. His designs were particularly attractive to the upper classes who wished to display their understanding of contemporary design trends while maintaining old-world flair.
By the end of World War II, Buffa formed close collaborations with Lombardy’s craftsmen with the common goal of making furniture of exceptional quality to present to a larger audience. Many of the successful furniture pieces that Buffa designed during this period were built by prominent and entrepreneurial craftsmen who adopted more efficient production techniques. Among these craftsmen were ebanista Mario Quarti and cabinetmakers Mose Turri di Bovisio, Fratelli Lietti, Serafino Arrighi, Colico, and Angelo Marelli, who later established his own furniture company, Eredi Marelli. These furniture designs were featured in many exhibitions including the 1948 Salon des Artistes Decorateur in Paris.
As his career progressed in the 1950s and ’60s, Buffa experimented with designs that echoed the rising trends of minimalism across the art and design fields. Some of the opulence which once dominated his creations was replaced with increasingly streamlined forms and modern materials. By the 1960s, his designs found their way into the collections of establishments like Cassina di Meda.
Buffa continued to create designs until shortly before his death in 1970. By that time, he was recognized as one of Italy’s most accomplished designers. Buffa’s work holds prominence amongst the great twentieth-century Italian design masters.
