Enzo Mari Due 'La Pera' Print Available

Artist: Enzo Mari Due
Title: La Pera
Medium: 2 Color Screen Print
Size: 112 x 112 cm
Edition: UNSURE
Price: £270

Enzo Mari (1932–2020) was a towering figure in post-war Italian design, renowned as the "critical conscience of design." An artist, product and furniture designer, theorist, and self-professed utopian, Mari believed design was a powerful tool for societal change, not merely a commercial pursuit. His ethical, anti-capitalist stance drove him to create work that was functional, accessible, and high-quality for everyone, not just the wealthy. Mari’s approach was rooted in both the Arts and Crafts movement and his communist ideals. He applied rationalist principles to his work, moving freely between fine art, graphic design, and industrial production for major manufacturers like Alessi, Danese, and Magis. He consistently challenged the design industry throughout his prolific 60-year career, winning the prestigious Compasso d'Oro award multiple times.

Key projects illustrate his profound philosophy. The 16 Animals puzzle from 1957 was an early, celebrated piece of kinetic art that doubled as a children's toy. The Timor perpetual calendar, developed in 1967, exemplified functional, intuitive design inspired by train station flip signs. Perhaps his most famous critique of consumerism was the Autoprogettazione project of 1973. This initiative provided free instructions for users to build their own furniture from simple wooden boards and nails, encouraging a critical understanding of mass production and the value of manual labor. Mari’s legacy, spanning over 2,000 projects, continues to inspire designers to pursue a more principled, human-centered approach to creation. He firmly believed that design should solve real problems and empower the user, leaving behind a body of work that is as intellectually rigorous as it is aesthetically pure.