Born in 1991, architect Francesco Maria Messina is one of the very young top contemporary designers. Born in Pisa, raised in Paris and professionally trained in France, the United States, Africa and Mauritius – where he lived for two years – the starting point of Francesco’s work is the telling of a story, a theme … a topical reportage that is translated onto objects, installations and furniture elements.
His creations depict current events, society and are mostly inspired by nature. These themes, combined with his international experiences and his humanistic training – have shaped his unique approach to design. During his stay in Mauritius he realized 5 collections (25 pieces in total) developed in just 9 months, through which he described the characteristic of the nature of the Indian Ocean island.
Among the projects in progress on the occasion of his return to Italy and Europe, through his brand new pieces of furniture on the border between design and sculpture, he is exploring current themes such as global warming, the melting of polar and alpine ice, the erosion and recycling of plastic from the beaches. Surprising and with an unconventional design, his exclusive pieces are made only in limited editions and imitate nature, from which Francesco draws his continuous inspiration.
Born as an architect-urban planner, and thanks to the guidance of the star-architect Odile Decq and Matteo Cainer respectively, his masters during his architectural studies in France, Francesco has always applied a “modus operandi” developing each project from a strong idea, a concept precisely, whether he is approaching an architectural project (for example a museum or a building) or a furniture design . Going back to his classical training, and using – almost exclusively – natural materials, Francesco creates sculptural objects that surprise and amaze thanks to their original shapes and strong material contrasts, characterized by the use of excellent and unusual materials, unique and – by their nature – almost never reproducible. “Just to be faithful to the inspiration of each project and to express it in the best possible way, I look for real materials” says Francesco. “In the case of the latest collection inspired by the melting of polar ice (a subject to which I am very sensitive) it took me 6 months to find the right marble / crystal that best suited my needs and I found the perfect compromise in alabaster”.
Francesco Maria Messina after 13 years abroad returned to Italy, where – in June 2020 – he founded FMM his studio in Tuscany, his native land and source of inspiration as well as an excellent destination where it is easy to “Find” skilled craftsmen and materials that are unique in the world including Carrara marble, leather and alabaster from Volterra. Today his creations are exhibited at Rossana Orlandi’s Gallery (Milan and Porto Cervo) as well as the Galerie Des Lyons (Paris and Cannes.)
