Osvaldo Borsani

Born in 1911 in Varedo (Italy) and died in Milan in 1985, Osvaldo Borsani was a leading designer from a family of traditional furniture makers. From the age of sixteen, he worked with his father at the Atelier de Varedo, before graduating from the Milan Academy of Fine Arts in 1931. In 1933, his Maison Minimale project was awarded the silver medal at the 5th Milan Triennale. He befriended a number of artists, including Lucio Fontana, with whom he produced important art and design objects. In 1953, together with his brother Fulgenzio, he founded the publishing company Tecno. He devoted most of his life to developing his brand, and in particular setting up mass production. In 1968, Tecno became one of the world's leading publishers of design objects, thanks to the Graphis desk he signed with Eugenio Gerli, with a million copies sold. He went on to develop the Centro Progetti Tecno, a hub for the creation of new products and innovations in the field of interior design.