Contemporary Art The Butterfly Sofa in Silk Velvet by Carla Tolomeo

Carla Tolomeo creates whimsical and otherworldly pieces of art and furniture. With works that take on a range of natural-world forms such as palm trees, crescent moons and butterflies, Tolomeo’s lavish and imaginative seating creatively bridges sculpture and design. 

Born in Pinerolo near Turin, Italy, in 1945, Tolomeo spent most of her childhood in Rome. She involved herself in art early in life, learning from leading Italian artists like Giorgio de Chirico, Renato Guttuso, Franco Gentilini and Ugo Attardi.

In 1971, Tolomeo had her first exhibition in Lugano, Switzerland. She went on to teach engraving at the Brera Academy and the Venetian Academy of Art. Through the 1990s, she focused solely on fine art, varying her disciplines between oil painting, engraving and other media.

In 1997, Tolomeo decided to challenge her artistic vision through the creation of pieces that she christened “Chairs-Sculptures.” She impressed critics and collectors alike with her boldly unconventional furniture. An early Tolomeo chair design garnered interest from the likes of Hermès and Neiman Marcus — she has since utilized textiles from Hermès in her works as well as fabrics created by Missoni.

Tolomeo sees her furniture as an extension of her art, with the three-dimensional structures juxtaposing the real and the unreal. Working with velvet, silk and foam rubber, she instills luxurious comfort into her curious sofas and other pieces such as beds. Their ostentatious ornamentation accents any space with a touch of magic.

Find Carla Tolomeo furniture and decorative objects on 1stDibs.

Known for its collaborations with some of the world’s most important artists, sculptors and designers, Italian furniture manufacturer Mirabili produces high-quality pieces that not only prioritize function but are also expressive objets d’art that are demonstrative of the company’s clear creative vision. 

Famed Italian entrepreneur Sergio Cammilli (1920–2001), founder of radical modernist furniture company Poltronova in 1956, came up with an idea to focus on creating a collection of “usable furniture art” designed by notable architects and artists. In 1986, Cammilli’s vision was realized when he established Mirabili. He once explained that the company was a consortium of “well-known artists and designers selected for their particular gifts and their poetic world, lending an innovative and sensitive contribution to the cultural image of the habitat as ‘Art of Living.’”

Over the past few decades, Mirabili has attracted high-profile designers to create an eclectic range of pieces. For instance, the headboard of Italian multidisciplinary artist Luigi Ontani’s Heliondimio bed comprises a colossal carved wooden sun that is finished with gold leaf and “meets the gaze” of the carved crescent moon sculpture that appears on the foot of the structure. Other distinguished pieces include the leaf-like Foglia chair by Fabrizio Corneli, the TOTEM Clair de Lune sculpture by Ettore Sottsass, Carla Tolomeo’s Black Half-Moon silk and velvet sofa and Marco Lodola’s “playing card” contemporary art wall sculptures.

In 2002, Formitalia Luxury Group acquired Mirabili (now known as Mirabili Arte d'Abitare).

Mirabili has regularly exhibited at numerous art shows and fairs throughout Italy and the rest of Europe. 

On 1stDibs, discover a range of vintage Mirabili decorative objects, wall decorations and seating.