Widely recognized as superstars of postmodern Italian design, husband-and-wife team Afra and Tobia Scarpa (1937–2011; b. 1935) collaboratively created chairs, sofas and other furniture that work equally well in both traditional and cutting-edge environments.
Afra Bianchin and Tobia Scarpa met as architecture students at the Università Iuav di Venezia. In a class led by architect and furniture designer Franco Albini, they created their first collaborative piece, the Pigreco armchair, later produced with Gavina. After graduating in 1957, Tobia Scarpa worked for Murano glass company Venini & Co. before the couple opened a studio in Afra’s hometown, Montebelluna, in 1960. (Tobia, the son of famed glass artist and architect Carlo Scarpa, was born in Venice.)
Ranging from architecture and interior design to furniture and clothing, the Scarpas’ practice from its beginnings in the mid-1950s to the 21st century has included a diverse scope of projects combining new technology with thoughtful function and sculptural yet simple forms.
For Afra and Tobia, a close collaborative process was pivotal to the success of their designs. The duo was also prolific — they designed for the most influential European manufacturers, including B&B Italia, Cassina, Knoll and FLOS. With respect to the latter, Afra and Tobia were among the legendary Italian lighting maker’s earliest collaborators, and their pioneering designs for the brand included the Papillon lamp, one of the first fixtures to use halogen technology. Their most recognized designs include the Bastiano sofa (1962), the Vanessa bed (1959), the Coronado sofa (1966) and the Soriana seating collection (1970). Work on the Soriana sofa began in late 1969 for an early 1970 debut, and it feels as radical today as it did in its heyday.
Architecture was also a central part of Afra and Tobia’s practice, which spanned residential buildings and factories for Italian companies such as Benetton. Their commissions for the global fashion brand included numerous industrial projects, from textile plants to storefronts. By 1985, Afra and Tobia Scarpa’s work was celebrated in a 30-year retrospective at Center Four in Queens, New York. Looking around the 30,000-square-foot exhibition space, Afra joked to the New York Times, “Seeing all those things makes us feel very tired, and now we feel that maybe we worked too much.”
It was not too much for their legacy, as Afra and Tobia Scarpa’s work continues to inspire new generations. Scarpa designs are in collections at the Louvre, the Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The couple was awarded the Compasso d’Oro in 1970 for the Soriana armchair.
Find vintage Tobia Scarpa table lamps, sofas, dining chairs and other furniture today on 1stDibs.
Tobia Scarpa Geometrie Nascoste limited edition signed print, 2020
By Tobia Scarpa, Paradisoterrestre
Located in Ozzano Dell'emilia, IT
An artistic project by the Venetian architect who, on the occasion of the exhibition Tobia Scarpa _ Dall’arte della misura silenziosamente (Paradisoterrestre Gallery – Bologna, 2020)...
Aluminum
$1,795
H 29 in W 27 in D 0.75 in L 29 in
Yoshitoshi Mori Signed Limited Edition Japanese Woodblock Stencil Print, 1969
By Yoshitoshi Mori
Located in Studio City, CA
A large, earthly toned, dramatically composed print, with just the right touch of humor, is by Japanese master printmaker Yoshitoshi Mori who was famed ...
Paper
$2,495
H 21.25 in W 31.5 in D 1 in
Clifton Karhu Signed Limited Edition Japanese Woodblock Print "Kamigano"
By Clifton Karhu
Located in Studio City, CA
A beautiful, large woodblock print by American master printmaker Clifton Karhu who lived in Japan for over 50 years. Karhu's work gained great e...
Paper
K. Trumpf, Limited Edition Signed Print Titled Levade
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Print With Lippezaner Horses And Riders In Vienna Titled "Levade" lower left. Pencil signed lower right, numbered 175/299 lower left. Finely framed in gilt wood. sight 17 x 22 3/4", ...
Paper, Glass, Wood
$280Sale Price|20% Off
H 35 in W 23 in D 0 in
Marti Somers — "6 Limes Juggling" Signed Limited Edition Print (103/195)
Located in San Carlos, CA
Add a touch of whimsical sophistication to your collection with this enchanting limited-edition print by acclaimed contemporary artist Marti Somers. Titled 6 Limes Juggling, the piec...
Paper
$1,695
H 23.5 in W 26.25 in D 0.25 in
Kiyoshi Saito Signed Limited Edition Japanese Woodblock Print Hirato Nagasaki A
By Kiyoshi Saitō
Located in Studio City, CA
A beautifully composed woodblock print by famed Japanese Sosaku Hanga printmaker Kiyoshi Saito. Many consider Saito to be one of the most important, if not the most important, contem...
Paper
$995
H 32.5 in W 26.5 in D 1 in
Hiroyuki Tajima Signed Limited Edition Abstract Zen Japanese Woodblock Print
By Hiroyuki Tajima
Located in Studio City, CA
A gorgeous, luminous, and sumptuously colored woodblock print by Japanese artist Hiroyuki Tajima titled "Small Garden, B" Tajima is famed for his use of dark, rich colors and striking abstract compositions and was heavily influenced and guided by his Zen Buddhist beliefs. The print is pencil signed, titled, dated (1967), and apparently numbered (6/50). Would be a great addition to any Japanese or Asian print collection or eye-catching stand-alone work in about any setting. His work can be found in various collections and museums including: The British Musem, London UK The Japanese Museum, Tokyo, Japan Harvard Art Museum Portland Art...
Wood, Paper
$349
H 11.25 in W 10.75 in D 1.25 in
Japanese Signed Limited Edition Mezzotint Fruit Crab Apple Still Life Print
Located in Studio City, CA
A gorgeous and beautifully textured mezzotint print in the style of fellow Japanese artists Wako Ito, Hamanishi Katsunori, Tomoe Yokoi, Kaoru Saito, and Yozo Hamaguchi. The print is pencil signed (Noriko?), titled ("Crab Apple...
Paper
Swoon: Daniella Limited Edition Print
By Phaidon
Located in New York, NY
Print Digital archival print on Moab Entrada 335 gsm Measures: 16.00 x 13.00 in 40.6 x 33.0 cm Edition of 50 This work comes with a signed Certificate of Authenticity. In partnership with Maison de...
Paper
$2,104
H 23.23 in W 16.93 in D 0.4 in
Mount Gassan signed limited edition woodblock print by Ray Morimura
Located in Weesp, NL
Import of Art into the US should be exempt from all U.S. import tariffs but please check. Ray Morimura — Gassan (Mount Gassan), 1998 — signed limited edition multi-color woodblock P...
Acrylic, Paper
Alberto Vargas Original Signed 1928 Limited Edition Print 2/20
By Alberto Vargas
Located in Forest Grove, PA
An early 1928 limited edition print by Alberto Vargas, number 2 of 20. The image area is 29 1/2" by 19.25". The print has not been examined outside of the frame, the frame will be to...
Wood, Paper
$2,495
H 26.75 in W 26.75 in D 0.1 in
Takashi Murakami Signed Limited Edition Superflat Japanese Print DOB Myxomycete
By Takashi Murakami
Located in Studio City, CA
A fantastic and quite engaging Primordial Life offset lithograph print by renowned contemporary Japanese artist Takashi Murakami the founder of the Superflat aesthetic art movement w...
Paper
$1,795
H 30 in W 45.5 in D 1.75 in
Will Barnet Signed Limited Edition Serigraph Print "Madame Butterfly"
By Will Barnet
Located in Studio City, CA
A tranquil, gorgeously composed, quite large limited edition print by American artist Will Barnet. The print is pencil signed, titled, dated (1980) and numbered (256/300) by the artist. This is one of Barnet's most sought after images. Clearly, a standout work. The print has been professionally framed. Framed dimensions: 30" H, 45.5" W, 1.75" D Barnet studied at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts School and then at the Art Students League in New York. He is the recipient of the following awards: Artist's Lifetime Achievement Award Medal The College Art Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award The Philadelphia Academy of Fine Art’s Lippincott Prize The American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters’ Childe Hassam Prize. His work can be found in many permanent collections including: Albright-Knox Art Gallery Art Institute of Chicago Corcoran Gallery of Art Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Metropolitan Museum of Art Museum of Modern Art Museum of Fine Art, Boston National Gallery of Art Phillips...
Paper