Odd Numbers and Poetic Objects: Inside Andrea Mancuso’s Design World
people • MAKERS
Andrea Mancuso is an Italian designer whose work blurs the boundaries between art and design, transforming function into narrative. Based between Milan, London, and Rome, his practice spans collectible furniture, immersive installations, and site-specific works, each piece imbued with poetry, cultural memory, and theatrical refinement. Known for his long-standing collaboration with Nilufar Gallery, Mancuso has built an international reputation for creating objects that surprise, enchant, and redefine contemporary collectible design. In this exclusive Designeers interview, he reflects on function as a creative framework, the importance of time and history, and the inspirations that continue to shape his ever-evolving world of design.
Words: designeers
SEPTEMBER 2025
WEBSITE: andreamancuso.com
INSTAGRAM: @andreamancuso_studio
DESIGNEERS
Your work seems to belong to a parallel world, where objects don’t just serve a function; they tell stories, surprise, and enchant. Is function for you a constraint, an invitation, or something to break free from?
Andrea Mancuso
Function is something that firmly belongs to design. I believe that art and design often share blurred boundaries, but function is the element that defines this fragile line. I do not consider myself an artist—even though I create sculptural objects, collectible furniture, and immersive installations, I always feel the need to give them a purpose. For me, function is not a limitation but a framework; it challenges me to imbue poetry, narrative, and cultural memory into objects that remain rooted in reality.
DESIGNEERS
Your aesthetic is refined, theatrical, and never predictable. What usually sparks a new piece—an image, a word, an atmosphere?
Andrea Mancuso
Every new project takes shape from observing the world around me—the contemporary moment we live in, as well as the collective memory of history and culture. I feed my imagination with cultural stimuli: films, books, exhibitions, conversations, and travels. These influences overlap and create unexpected associations, which then grow into ideas. Sometimes it’s a single image or fragment of memory that triggers the process; other times it’s an atmosphere that needs to be translated into form, material, and design.
DESIGNEERS
If you had to describe your work in three words, what would they be?
Andrea Mancuso
Original, emotional, and cultural.
DESIGNEERS
Your objects feel as if they come from undefined eras. How important is time: past, future, or suspended, in shaping your creative universe?
Andrea Mancuso
I am truly fascinated by the time we live in. Unlike past eras defined by strong collective movements such as Modernism, today we enjoy a unique freedom tied solely to our personal vision. This freedom gives rise to subjective experiences, aesthetics, and cultural expressions, which I find incredibly inspiring.
I was born in Rome, where history and classicism are omnipresent. Later, I moved to London, a fast-paced, cosmopolitan environment, and eventually to Milan, a city where design and craftsmanship are deeply ingrained in its identity. Each of these places: Rome’s timeless heritage, London’s contemporary energy, and Milan’s design culture, has shaped the way I view time, memory, and craftsmanship in collectible design, and continues to inform my work as an Italian designer on the global stage.
DESIGNEERS
Your collaboration with Nilufar Gallery places you in a context that’s both elite and visionary. How did this partnership begin, and what has it unlocked in your work?
Andrea Mancuso
Nina Yashar has been a pivotal figure in my career. Since our first meeting in 2015, we have collaborated on numerous projects, building mutual respect and a genuine friendship. Over these ten years of collaboration, I’ve had the opportunity to broaden my perspective, take creative risks, and grow both professionally and intellectually. Working with Nilufar Gallery has exposed my work to a wider and more diverse international audience, which has been invaluable for my development as a contemporary collectible designer.
“When approaching a large-scale project, I always try to design something that is deeply connected to the existing space, as if it were a natural extension of it.”
Andrea Mancuso
DESIGNEERS
You’ve created immersive installations, unique collectible pieces, site-specific works. What shifts in your thinking or method when designing at an environmental scale?
Andrea Mancuso
Nina Yashar has been a truly pivotal figure in my career. Since our first meeting in 2015, we have collaborated on numerous projects, building not only mutual respect but also a genuine friendship. Over this decade of working together, I’ve been able to broaden my perspective, take creative risks, and grow both professionally and intellectually.
Partnering with Nilufar Gallery, one of the most influential galleries in contemporary collectible design, has also given my work an international stage. It has allowed me to reach a wider and more diverse audience while reinforcing my identity as an Italian designer whose practice moves fluidly between art, design, and cultural storytelling.
DESIGNEERS
Is there a project you consider a turning point? A moment where you felt you had truly found your voice?
Andrea Mancuso
The most recent project I particularly cherish is my solo exhibition Pentimenti, presented at Nilufar Depot in 2024. This show was the result of an extended research into the primordial stages of design—the sketch. My intention was to celebrate the traces of the creative process, those lines and gestures that are often erased in the pursuit of perfection.
In Pentimenti, these so-called “imperfections” became the central theme, giving life to a wide collection of collectible furniture and sculptural objects crafted in marble, bronze, brass, blown glass, and cast glass. The exhibition unfolded as a dialogue between materials, form, and memory, turning process into poetry. For me, it was both a personal manifesto and a significant step forward in my journey as an Italian designer redefining contemporary collectible design.
DESIGNEERS
Is there a detail, gesture, or recurring element that you often find yourself exploring across different works?
Andrea Mancuso
I always use odd numbers in every measurement. It’s almost a superstition, but also a way of introducing a subtle imbalance that feels more alive, personal, and aligned with my approach to narrative-driven design.
DESIGNEERS
Name three artists or aesthetic worlds that inspire you—even if far removed from design.
Andrea Mancuso
I am constantly inspired by the worlds of Federico Fellini, with his dreamlike cinematic vision; Alberto Giacometti, whose sculptural forms evoke fragility and timeless presence; and Andrea Branzi, a radical thinker in Italian design. Each offers a lens that enriches my practice in contemporary collectible design.
DESIGNEERS
A material you love to work with—or one that still manages to surprise you.
Andrea Mancuso
The material I prefer is always the one I haven’t used yet. Every time you approach a new material or process, you don’t yet know its limits—and therefore you don’t limit your imagination. This sense of discovery, whether with glass, marble, or metals, is incredibly energizing and central to my creative process.
DESIGNEERS
A book you’d recommend to someone who wants to understand your world better.
Andrea Mancuso
Without hesitation: Codex Seraphinianus by Luigi Serafini. It’s an enigmatic, richly illustrated encyclopedia of an imaginary world—an endless source of inspiration that resonates with my fascination for storytelling, surrealism, and design beyond boundaries.
