Zeev Aram celebrated the work of the Italian designer Achille Castiglioni with an exhibition of his designs in The Aram Gallery. 

In a personal tribute to his friend, one of the most important figures in Italian design of the 20th Century, Aram exhibited Castiglioni pieces from his private collection as well as designs that are stocked by Aram.  

 

Zeev Aram first met Achille Castiglioni with his brother and design partner Pier Giacomo in 1965 when they visited him at his pioneering design showroom in London’s Kings Road.  Aram had been instrumental in introducing Castiglioni’s designs to the UK and they were keen to meet the man who was selling their work to a then sceptical audience.  Following the death of Pier Giacomo in 1968, Achille and Aram remained friends until his death at the end of 2002.    

 

Amongst the most important Italian designers of the 20th Century, the Castiglioni brothers played an active part in Italy’s post-war design renaissance.   After Pier Giacomo’s death his work has had wide-ranging influence on subsequent generations of designers.   His genius lay in his ability to use diverse materials from unlikely sources to maximum effect and successfully fusing the Italian tradition of fine craftsmanship with sensual forms with a great deal of humour.  It was his creative imagination, originality, innovation and humorous approach to all aspects of his work that sparked Aram’s interest in his designs.   

 

Castiglioni designed and collaborated on an incredible number of projects and objects ranging from lamps (principally for Flos) furniture for Zanotta and Gavina, radio and hi-fi systems for Brionvega and even wash-basins for Ideal Standard.  Visitors were able to see designs from a collection built up over the last 37 years including the well-known Arco floor light, Toio floor lamp and San Luca chair.  Each exhibit was accompanied by a description noting when Zeev Aram acquired the piece.