Valentina Cameranesi

We travelled to Milan to meet Valentina Cameranesi, a designer and creative director originally born in Rome. She welcomed us at the home of her partner, Enrico Pompili, with whom they share a creative consultancy and set design studio.

Very self-confident, she tells us about past and current projects ranging from designing exclusive tableware for a Christmas dinner to an installation in a former hairdressing salon in France. We shared a lovely morning walking through Castel Morrone, Corso Indipendenza to Piola, where she took us to her favourite café near SEM, the gallery that produces the marble vessels so characteristic of her work. We loved discovering Milan through her eyes, and hope to meet her again in the future. Find out more about Valentina's work on her website and instagram.

NT - What three words would you use to define your work?

VC - Tension, flow, tactility.

NT - What is your thought process for art direction when you start a project?

VC - I'm lucky to be able to count on a professional partner, Enrico, and that allows for very diverse beginnings, perhaps a commission or an editorial project.... Everything comes from the constant dialogue and exchange of ideas between us. As for my personal projects, like my objects and things, they are part of a kind of never-ending, unspoken story, so it's difficult to describe how they begin. From a technique or a memory of a detail from a film, suddenly something emerges and starts to take shape.

NT - What part of your process do you enjoy the most?

VC - Perhaps with the dynamic collaboration and constant dialogue with the photographers when an image has to be constructed, or the conversations with the craftsman who physically makes the piece; it is always challenging and interesting.

NT - What are your daily inspirations?

VC - I'm not a daily person; perhaps I'm more of a monthly person. Anyone who knows me well knows that I have phases and that I can become obsessed in a very meticulous and rather nerdy way.

NT - What is your favourite material to work with, and would you like to explore any others?

VC - In general, I like natural materials, and I try to combine them with a form that does not oppose them, but emphasises their inner aspects.

NT - Which project do you most identify with?

VC - The process is quite long, so each of the projects has a special meaning for me. Certainly a very dense and profound one was the exhibition in Toulon with Villa Noailles, installed in a former hairdressing salon. There I was able to integrate my designs into a specific environment, which was not real but plausible.

NT - Is there an artist you would like to work with?

VC - I feel fortunate to be able to collaborate with many people - artists, photographers, etc. -whom I admire, respect and love. Perhaps a new challenge would be to do something with a great upholsterer or wood carver.

NT - If you could bring an artist or designer back to life, who would it be?

VC - Betty Woodman, but maybe also Pino Pascali - it's not easy to choose one!

NT - What do you like most about living in Milan?

VC - It's quite practical. It's a relatively small place, so it's easy to stay active and meet people to work with.

NT - Recommend us...

NT - A book?

VC - Caro Michele by Natalia Ginzburg.

NT - A film?

VC - I think the lists can only be temporary, but I would say L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo by Dario Argento. I love the opening scene in the gallery, even if it is a bit violent.

NT - A work of art?

VC - As I said, I'm not very good at making lists, but in Milan I was really impressed with a series of small views of Vesuvius by De Nittis on the walls of the GAM [Galleria d'Arte Moderna] in Milan.

NT - A restaurant in Milan?

VC - Osteria Grand Hotel, it's quite unique and beautiful. It's a bit far from the centre, but it's worth going.

NT - A place in Milan?

VC - The Arlecchino cinema is beautiful, and I hope it never closes. And the PAC [Pavilion of Contemporary Art] museum. I think it's quite an elegant space and I love the details of the staircase.

NT - A street in Milan for a stroll?

VC - Corso Italia houses architecture by Luigi Moretti and Luigi Caccia Dominioni, so it's worth a stroll.