A winner has been chosen from the group of 10 finalists selected by an independent panel. Elisabetta Fabri, President and CEO of Starhotels, selected Selvatica, a work created by the Fabscarte studio in Milan, as the winning project. The project is: “A poetic and romantic interpretation of light, a particularly evocative and sophisticated work, which I chose because of its dual spirit of finest craftsmanship and contemporary design: the perfect marriage of design and artisanal tradition that reflects the spirit of this award.”
Selvatica, developed through a collaboration with designer Francesco Maluta, is a wall light with LED backlighting, created as a window onto the outside world to create a connection with nature even in places where nature is not present. The front is in painted paper with a series of materials behind to create a play of light and shade; the oval form reflects the idea of an oriental fan and the paper, with its different textures and thicknesses, allows the light to pass through in differing degrees. The decorative patterns are handpainted in watercolour.
The Fabscarte studio was established in Milan in 2000 by Luigi Scarabelli and Emilio Brazzolotto, who, with twenty years’ experience in painting, decided to open a studio with some young artisans specialising in wall decoration. Their production of hand-painted wallpapers and paper art, created through experimentation with traditional and contemporary materials and techniques, is luxurious and highly sophisticated. The studio collaborates with artists and designers, taking part in numerous events and exhibitions. “We seek inspiration in nature and art to create paper works and hand-created drawings that combine material, texture and colour in unprecedented ways, giving a new language to interior design,” say the owners of Fabscarte.
