Artist, craftsman, and entrepreneur, Paolo De Poli (Padua 1905-1996) became known worldwide for his mastery of enamel technique, which he transformed into a modern language through constant experimentation.
The Civic Museums of Padua are dedicating a major exhibition to De Poli in collaboration with the Iuav University of Venice. “Paolo De Poli is an extraordinarily important figure in Padua’s artistic and artisanal culture,” says Culture Councilor Andrea Colasio, “as demonstrated by the rich and valuable group of works that, thanks to the artist’s heirs, are now part of the civic collections and will find a permanent home in the future Design Museum at Castello Carrarese.
These works, organized according to typological and thematic criteria, are accompanied by original documents from the De Poli Collection donated to the Project Archive of the Iuav University of Venice.
These documents highlight his ability to blend Italian artisan tradition with a modern concept of design and to explore manufacturing processes, technical experimentation, and the practices of enameling and firing copper.
The exhibition also stands out for its particular attention to environmental sustainability: existing structures were reused for the exhibition, adapted to the exhibition’s needs, and recycled materials were used.
