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Michele DE LUCCHI
Born in Italy in 1951, Michele de Lucchi graduated in architecture in 1975 and is considered to be one of the key figures of the Memphis movement, which influenced design in the 1980s by breaking down diktats and advocating fantasy, humour and freedom. He is one of Italy's last 'maestri', following in the footsteps of Ettore Sottsass, whose pupil and accomplice he was. He designs lighting and furniture for major brands such as Kartell. In particular, he created the Tolomeo lamp, published by Artemide, which is regarded as an essential design classic. Until 2002, he was head of the design department at Olivetti, but in 1990 his need to experiment led him to set up Produzione Privata in Milan, a small company using only traditional production techniques to produce limited edition design products. An architect and designer, his creations are bold and interdisciplinary. He enjoys designing simple, refined decorative objects (such as the KADO vases), as well as large-scale architectural projects. Michele de Lucchi has received numerous awards for his commitment to architecture and design, including the Honory Doctorate from Kingston University. More recently, he was appointed Professor of Design at the Milan Polytechnic and a member of the National Academy of San Luca in Rome.