Enzo Mari was an influential industrial designer and a beloved curmudgeon who revered Marxism. His vintage mid-century modern designs are simple, functional and poetic. Widely known Mari-designed objects include desk accessories, such as the Formosa perpetual wall calendar, vases, cocktail tables and chandeliers.
Enzo Mari's work is embedded within the city of Milan, the Italian capital of all things design. In fact, the traffic bollards he devised are part of the city itself: Shaped like "panettone" cakes, they simultaneously direct traffic and provide seating for pedestrians.
In 1974, Mari published Autoprogettazione? (roughly translated as self-design), a Marx-inspired, anti-industrial, do-it-yourself handbook for the everyday person to use to build furniture without the assistance of a glitzy designer or knowledge of complex joinery. Mari’s intent with the publication was to remove the alienation of the creator and manufacturer from the end product by teaching anyone to develop a critical eye for production.
Artek relaunched kits based on the blueprints in the manual in an exhibition at Spazio Rossana Orlandi in 2010. The subsequent collectability of his work was reportedly irksome for Mari because he abhorred the industrial production for which he was becoming known.
Mari’s meager upbringing heavily influenced his politics, and even in childhood, he would come up with ingenious ways to support the family financially. As a designer, the desire to envision and build significant pieces was more important to Mari than devising new marketing and retail sales tactics. He optimistically believed objects could change the world. This view went against the rising consumer mania for every next trend that surfaced in the late 20th century. Not surprisingly, his ecological and economical stance led him to produce fewer objects.
Mari's philosophy did not stop people from desiring his creations, nor prevent other designers from wanting to collaborate with him. Following World War II, he worked for companies like Danese, Olivetti, Artemide, Driade and Alessi, who brought his prodigious designs to the public, and Mari’s work was widely celebrated.
The Golden Compass, Italy's highest honor for industrial design, was awarded to Mari four times before he died from COVID in 2020, and New York’s Museum of Modern Art has a permanent collection of his objects on display.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of Enzo Mari decorative objects, folk art and serveware.
"Elisa" Outdoor Armchair Designed by Enzo Mari for Driade
By Enzo Mari, Driade
Located in Brooklyn, NY
"Elisa" is an outdoor armchair, designed by Enzo Mari and manufactured by Driade, featuring a structure made of steel with protective cataphoresis treatment, finished in black-brown ...
Steel
"Elisa" Indoor Armchair Designed by Enzo Mari for Driade
By Driade, Enzo Mari
Located in Brooklyn, NY
"Elisa" is an armchair, designed by Enzo Mari and manufactured by Driade, featuring a structure made of steel finished in black-brown epoxy paint, cushions in polyurethane foam of va...
Steel
$1,084 / item
Set of 4 Mariolina Chair by Enzo Mari for MAGIS
By Enzo Mari, Magis
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mariolina recalls the fifties-style, but features a series of extra details. The legs in powder coated or chromed steel tube are in fact slimmer and more precise in section. The poly...
Steel
Enzo Mari NOS The Box chair in orange for Aleph Atlantide Driade 1995
By Enzo Mari, Driade
Located in Skokie, IL
Enzo Mari NOS model "Box chair" in orange manufactured by Aleph Atlantide (Driade), Italy, 1995 The Enzo Mari NOS model "The Box" chair, manufactured by Aleph Atlantide (Driade) in ...
Steel
$2,070Sale Price / set|50% Off
H 32.29 in W 15.75 in D 19.69 in
Zanotta Tonietta Metal Chairs by Enzo Mari, Set of Four
By Zanotta
Located in Rochester, England
The Zanotta Tonietta Chairs by Enzo Mari are an exquisite blend of minimalist elegance and robust functionality. This set of four chairs is crafted with precision, featuring sleek an...
Metal
"Day-Night" Daybed by Enzo Mari for Driade, Italy, 1970s
By Driade, Enzo Mari
Located in Milan, IT
Rare "Day-Night" sofa bed by Enzo Mari for Driade. Brown lacquered steel frame hosts a revolving backrest and a single bed covered mattress. First "convertible" piece of furniture d...
Steel
$2,748
H 33.08 in W 24.02 in D 27.56 in
Philippe Starck, armchair designed by J. Lang for Driade Aleph, 1987
By Driade, Philippe Starck
Located in Saarbrücken, SL
The armchair J. Lang, designed in 1987 by Philippe Starck for Driade Aleph, is a striking, sculptural piece of furniture with a strong iconic character. The generously dimensioned se...
Aluminum
Costes Armchair Grey Oak by Driade
By Driade
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
There are objects universally recognized as icons. Costes easy chair that, in 1984, marked the beginning of the partnership between Philippe Starck and Driade such as the consecration of the designer, formerly unknown in Italy, is one of these objects. Designed for the homonymous, now disappeared, Parisian café, owes its timeless success to the absoluteness of forms: a dark wooden embracing structure with three highly tilted legs. The Costes armchair...
Leather, Wood
$625 / item
H 32 in W 17 in D 17.25 in
Enzo Mari NOS The Box chair in blue for Aleph Atlantide Driade 1995
By Driade, Enzo Mari
Located in Skokie, IL
Enzo Mari NOS model "Box chair" in blue manufactured by Aleph Atlantide (Driade), Italy, 1995 The Enzo Mari NOS model "The Box" chair, manufactured by Aleph Atlantide (Driade) in It...
Steel
Studio Made Sedia Chair by Enzo Mari
By Enzo Mari
Located in Chicago, IL
c. 1970s. This is a studio made self-assembly chair originally published in Enzo Mari’s 1974 project called Autoprogettazione.
Wood
Chair 1 by Enzo Mari for Artek
By Artek, Enzo Mari
Located in Busnago, IT
Chair mod. Chair 1 by Enzo Mari for Artek (Finland), 2002. Created by Mari in 1974, Chair 1 is a manifesto of his approach to furniture design, focusing on self-production and do-it-...
Wood
$5,347 / set
H 34.5 in W 18 in D 21 in
Enzo Mari for Driade Mid Century Italian Steel Dining Chairs - Set of 6
By Driade, Enzo Mari
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Enzo Mari for Driade Mid Century Italian Steel Dining Chairs - Set of 6 Each chair measures: 18 wide x 21 deep x 34.5 inches high, with a s...
Steel
$2,090
H 33.47 in W 19.69 in D 20.48 in
"chair 1" self-design , design Enzo Mari for Artek 2008 - original !
By Enzo Mari, Artek
Located in taranto, IT
"Chair 1" - Enzo Mari's Self-Design Project Are you looking for a piece that is not just a piece of furniture, but a manifesto of Italian design? I am putting up for sale this beau...
Wood
$4,062Sale Price|20% Off
H 34.3 in W 31.5 in D 32.3 in
Pratfall Armchairs by Philippe Starck for Driade, 1980s, Set of 2
By Driade, Philippe Starck
Located in Kelkheim (Taunus), HE
Postmodern design classic "Pratfall" arm chair designed by Philippe Starck for Driade. 1st Edition made in the early 90s. Both arm chairs are in good condition with normal wear of ...
Steel
Box Chairs by Enzo Mari for Anonima Castelli
By Anonima Castelli, Enzo Mari
Located in Chicago, IL
c. 1970s. Italy. Price is for the set. Contact us if you’d like to purchase a single item. Breaks down into a box for easy shipping and transport. Made in Italy. Rare vintage chair.
Metal