Serapian Celebrates Mestieri D'Arte at Fuorisalone 2025
- wgclients01
- 7 days ago
- 4 min read
Serapian presents a new project created in collaboration with Bethan Laura Wood, unveiled at Villa Mozart during Fuorisalone 2025 in Milan.
Titled Mosaico Bokashi Landscape, the collaboration interprets Serapian’s exquisite Metiers D’Art through the unique lens of the British designer’s work, and it is staged within the company’s HQ at Villa Mozart, an architectural masterpiece by legendary Milanese architect Piero Portaluppi.
The project revolves around a paravent made of three interlocking screens, featuring Serapian’s iconic Mosaico motif and Wood’s exquisite flair for colour and composition, resulting in an extraordinary object that weaves design and craft. The Mosaico Bokashi Landscape paravent is on view at Villa Mozart as part of this year’s Doppia Firma, an annual initiative pairing contemporary creatives and exclusive craft, led by Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte with Living Corriere della Sera, under the patronage of the Michelangelo Foundation.
The creation highlights Serapian’s Mosaico Mestieri d’Arte weaving technique, where strips of nappa leather are woven to create different colour patterns. The composition draws inspiration from the Japanese Bokashi technique, a woodblock printing technique used to achieve gradual shading from dark to light hues. Used by Wood in previous projects and part of her ongoing research on colour techniques, the woodblock expands the possibilities of leather weaving, adding a new depth to Serapian’s Mosaico.
Serapian has been experimenting with chiaroscuro in its creations, which inspired Wood to develop a multilayered, experimental colour composition. The shades of Wood’s palette are combined with classic Serapian off-white, and include burnt orange and yellow, green, lilac and cornflower blue, blended with extreme precision to create an exquisite effect. The experience of colour is paramount to Wood’s work, and with this collaboration Serapian was able to bring this approach to a large, textured scale.
Japan has been an inspiration for both Wood and Serapian, and this piece pays homage to the country’s distinctive aesthetic and culture. Shaped like a mountainous Japanese landscape, the screen is made by Serapian’s Bespoke atelier, using hundreds of leather strips woven to a gradient, to create the effect of a sunset and sunrise on the front and back of the paravent. The imposing paravent, 160cm tall, is equipped with shelves to display small items, turning this piece of art into a functional object.
To celebrate this illustrious collaboration, Serapian and Wood will host a dinner during Fuorisalone for their respective creative communities, staged like a celebration of colour and creativity with a special floral installation by Japanese artist Satoshi Kawamoto which will echo the Bokashi-inspired paravent.
As part of the Fuorisalone presentation, Serapian also stages an exhibition on the first floor of Villa Mozart, with an installation created in collaboration with Cappellini to showcase a dialogue between design and high craftsmanship.
Contemporary Cappellini pieces, including Dimorestudio’s Millepiedi bookcase and Elena Salmistraro’s Myia glass coffee table, help showcase some of Serapian’s most distinctive Mestieri D’Arte. The Maison’s leather creations are shown in an inviting space where Serapian’s black and white palette is reflected on the checkered carpets, while yellow objects such as sofa and cabinet nod to the Maria Theresa yellow, an iconic shade of Milanese architecture and a colour close to the company’s heart. In this space, Serapian’s craft comes to life through materials and techniques including the Mosaico Stop & Go technique, chiaroscuro on classic Serapian bags and leather goods, and a capsule collection created with iconic Japanese silk house Chiso.
As part of this display, guests will also discover the Secret Beauty Trunk, a unique bespoke piece presented at Homo Faber in 2024. It is made of Palm Wood, with interiors crafted in the company’s signature Mosaico technique, featuring hand-woven strips of lamb nappa. Featuring 12 Mosaico drawers (6 of which are hidden from view), the trunk also includes a central backlit mirror characterised by a diamond-shaped engraving that references the iconic shape of the Mosaico pattern, and is one of the Milanese company’s best displays of its Bespoke capabilities.
"We are delighted to unveil an extraordinary object with Bethan Laura Wood, a leading British designer who is also an artist and collector. Both Bethan and Serapian are constantly experimenting, researching and innovating with colour and materials, and this large-scale, imposing paravent is a testament to our passion. It is great to combine our craft with Bethan’s to bring to life this magical object entirely crafted in Italy, crafted using our Mosaico techniques woven in our Bespoke atelier." says Maxime Bohe, CEO Serapian.
"I felt drawn to Mosaico, the weaving technique characteristic of Serapian artisans, along with the exchanges of materials and the positioning of colours. Inspired by the mountainous origins of many of this year’s Double Signature artisans and the shaded printing technique in recent Serapian collections, I was reminded of the delicate colour transitions found in Japanese woodblock landscapes. These layered tones, where two inks blend with the natural shade of the paper, evoke the soft light of dawn or dusk and create a sense of depth and distance. I tried to translate this effect from 2D to 3D, designing an interlocking mountain landscape that acts as both a partition and a display unit. The structure seamlessly weaves together customised shades of colour, reflecting the ever-changing light on the mountains, where moving clouds cast shadows and sparkling lights dance on rugged surfaces." says Bethan Laura Wood.