Michelangelo Foundation: Homo Faber

The Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship is thrilled to present a special showcase celebrating the creative achievements of the second edition of the Homo Faber Fellowship. Held at House of Switzerland Milano during Milan Design Week 2025, the exhibition Today’s Masters Meet Tomorrow’s Talents highlights the collaborative works crafted over six months. Twenty-three duos – each comprising a master artisan and an emerging talent, or ‘fellow’- participated in the Foundation’s signature education programme. This final collection embodies the bright future of craftsmanship, demonstrating the power of collaboration and skill transmission to foster change, connection, and beauty.

Discover more on Milan Design Week 2025

A diverse range of talents at Milan Design Week 2025

The Art Deco-inspired creations on display at Milan’s iconic Casa degli Artisti in Brera represent a diverse range of crafts, from glassblowing to basket weaving, wood marquetry to bookbinding. They illustrate how two distinct creative visions—blending innovation with tradition—can come together to produce original, handcrafted objects. Each piece tells a unique story. A Norwegian master ceramicist passing down the art of wood firing to his fellow. A Spanish master woodcarver, inspired by his fellow, reimagining Mudéjar coffered ceilings for contemporary spaces. Finally, British master puppet maker and his fellow working to revive the endangered craft of marionette making.

Discover Milan Salone del Mobile 2025

Homo Faber + Jaeger-LeCoultre: contemporary arts and crafts

Developed in collaboration with partners from the Foundation’s international network and supported by long-term partner Jaeger-LeCoultre, the Homo Faber Fellowship by Michelangelo Foundation is a professional integration programme dedicated to preserving and transmitting craft knowledge and skills across generations. The second edition was launched in September 2024. It started with a one-month creative and entrepreneurial masterclass in Venice, developed and certified by ESSEC Business School (France) and Passa Ao Futuro (Portugal). Following this, each fellow joined their master artisan in workshops across Europe for a six-month placement. During that six months, they co-designed and crafted an Art Deco-inspired piece. Art Deco theme was selected by Jaeger-LeCoultre.

23 duos of masters artisans and fellows in Milan 

Today’s Masters Meet Tomorrow’s Talents is part of a broader collective exhibition at House of Switzerland Milano during Milan Design Week. Centered around the theme of ‘collaboration,’ this exhibition showcases the richness of Swiss-related talent in contemporary design, underscoring the essential role of collaboration in the global design industry. It fosters connections and shared creativity among designers and creators worldwide. Presented as a three-year initiative by the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia and Presence Switzerland, the project aims to bring Swiss design excellence to an international audience. Within this context, the Michelangelo Foundation seizes a unique opportunity to highlight the Homo Faber Fellowship and the crucial role of its network members – ranging from 12 leading Swiss organizations to over 100 collaborators worldwide – in bringing its projects to life.

The exhibitors at Today’s Masters meet Tomorrow’s Talents 2025

CYPRUS
Woodworking: Navid Gholipour, Iranian & Natali Touloupou, Australian/Cypriot

FRANCE
Felting: Laurine Malengreau, Belgian & Emma Fardeau, French
Glassblowing: Eve George, French & Alexandra Holmes, British
Leatherworking: Pierre Roux, French & Cristina Alvarez Matallana, Colombian
Textile creation: Cecile Feilchenfeldt, Swiss & Karla Huff, German
Wood marquetry: Pierre-Henri Beyssac, French & Victoire Camus, French

GREECE
Ceramics: Vanessa Anastasopoulou, Greek & Aikaterini Sara Batistatou, Greek
Textile dyeing: Christiana Varadakou, Greek & Paolina Bumeder, German
Weaving: Maria Stavropoulou, Greek & Ella Solberg, Norwegian

IRELAND
Blacksmithing: James O’Riordan, Irish & Michal Halvoník, Czech
Lacemaking: Fiona Harrington, Irish & Jack O’ Meara, Irish
Stone carving: Helen O’Connell, Irish & Finn Conlon, Irish

NORWAY
Basket weaving: Klara Pil, Norwegian & Coline Bouquin, French
Ceramics: Ole Morten Rokvam, Norwegian & Line Blom Salvesen, Norwegian
Woodworking: Stian Korntved Ruud, Norwegian & Marianne Bain, Norwegian

POLAND
Embroidery: Alicja Stańska, Polish & Alicja Kozłowska, Polish                                                                                                                

PORTUGAL
Tapestry weaving: Célia Esteves, Portuguese & Erica Monteiro, Portuguese

SPAIN
Bookbinding: Luis Mínguez Serrano, Spanish & Gonzalo Mínguez Mínguez, Spanish
Embroidery: Encarnación Berrio López, Spanish & Anastacia Juana Gómez González, Mexican
Wood sculpting: Víctor García Villalgordo, Spanish & Juan Manuel Juárez Cabello, Spanish
Woodworking: Francisco Luis Martos Sánchez, Spanish & Florencia Iracema Olivera Mutuberria, Uruguayan

UNITED KINGDOM
Bookbinding: Manuel Mazzotti, Italian & Chihiro Shigemitsu, Japanese
Puppet making: Oliver Hymans, British & Ash Appadu, British