Design&Craf t

H a n d m a d e

In the Pavia countryside, not far from Milan, Studio Terre’s small artisan workshop: an open and protected space for creative activities in tune with nature’s slow pace

by Chiara Dal Canto — photos by Helenio Barbetta / Living Inside — words by Murielle Bortolotto

A portrait of Nino and Jufà, founders of Studio Terre. An artisan workshop that produces everyday items with imprecise and timeless shapes. Terracotta, chosen as the raw material, is turned into vases, tables and chairs. Wool and glass become rugs or containers.

Vintage furniture, travel souvenirs and handmade designer pieces: a welcoming and warming mix of styles

A corner of the country studio: among the objects dear to Nino and Jufà, an antique Apulian jar and a lathe (among the very first pieces chosen to define the space) stand out. Next to the Tolomeo lamp by Artemide and the Sgarsul rocking chair by Gae Aulenti for Poltronova, The Hug rug by Pierfrancesco Cravel, Marcello Bonvini and Alberto Sandroni for Volumnia. Pieces by Studio Terre punctuate the space.

The countryside as a source of inspiration. Pure air and clay becoming material to be moulded

Above, from left, resting on a plane surface, the tools of the trade; right, a view of the Pavia countryside. Below, from left, a detail of the parish church in Trivolzio, a town in the province of Pavia that is home to Studio Terre. Right, vases and containers with small engravings, Comari no. 01-02-03, from the Experimental Interaction series. Raw earth, worked with natural oils and waxes, is the hero.

True, sustainable and shared are the keywords of Nino and Jufà’s slow design

When you click on their website, the words “experimental art studio” followed by “slow design: true, sustainable and shared” appear on the homepage. For the duo featuring Eva Noemi Marchetti and Francesca Guarnone, better known as Nino and Jufà, they are the fundamental notions of their project idea. Green inspiration, like the countryside where they work together with Riccardo Brunetti and create unique, non-replicable accessories and furnishings. Each of them has a soul and a story to tell. Using sustainable materials, such as clay and glass, they revive the local traditions without ever overlooking the harmonious connection with nature. A slow, manual approach, following the rhythm of sunlight and the changing seasons. For the young designers, getting their hands dirty and shaping new forms is an essential part of their creative process. Each piece is a metaphorical bridge that links the past, rich in artisan traditions, to a future to be invented. Studies completed at the NABA, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti Milano (Academy of Fine Arts Milan) both graduating in Fashion and Set Design, but above all a friendship that has continued since high school. After several experiences working for luxury brands and important Italian set designers, after the pandemic they decided to go back to their roots, in the countryside, where their hearts still reside. Originally from Casteggio, a small village in the Oltrepò Pavese area, they chose Trivolzio, near Bereguardo, a small town not far from the metropolis (the first exit on the A7 motorway, towards Genoa, when leaving the Lombard capital). Cosy and off the beaten track, the chosen scale is perfect for starting out and launching into a new professional adventure. The landscape they are building with their hands is inhabited by vases that recall the ancient low or super-thin wineskins and candle holders that challenge the force of gravity, but also chairs and earthen benches featuring organic shapes, as well as containers, glasses, Sardinian naturally dyed wool rugs and glittering glass bead screens. The names are a history lesson: the containers, for example, are called Conserve (Preserves), which become Maxi because of the size, and ‘Experimental Interaction’, indicating the clay mix. Reading them is a bit like discovering the underlying creative process that always leads back to the need for a slow-paced lifestyle and the importance of sharing. In September, we met them at the Lake Como Design Festival (contemporary design fair): they brought Caramellaio and Mostrini, the sweets holder with decorative element made of Murano glass and powdered terracotta, pieces previewed at the recent Designweek in Milan. What’s next? “At the end of October, we’ll be in Paris, at the Galerie Scene Ouverte. Then we’ll be focussing on fabrics and the art of embroidery”, they reveal, mulling over autumnal colours. Warm, tactile and in harmony with nature. —

On top, in the studio, still life with Lume Candelabro made of light-coloured, glazed and stuccoed Lombardy terracotta; Conserva Madre vase, both from the Maxi series; Rosa, from the Interazione Sperimentale collection, is a raw earth, oils and natural waxes sculptural seat. Above, Convivio small table made of coarse-grained Lombard red terracotta; Conserva n.09, part of the Conserve line, is a terracotta, Salento fireproof clay and glazed candleholder.