Swirling Elements Form Striking Shadows in Papuli's Fragmenti


Paper, first developed 1000’s of years in the past, continues to open new doorways in design – an array of prospects inside a single sheet. Fragmenti, offered by Daniele Papuli at Dilmos Gallery for Milan Design Week, attracts on the basic paths woven by the traditional materials, fastidiously handpicked for his or her weight and transparencies. Colours and ranging thicknesses stack upon one another, subverting customary notions of materiality. Some preparations are dense and durable of their composition, wending their means like wooden or stone, others singular sheets of paper, fluttering by way of the sky with an ethereal luminosity. This exhibition, which incorporates tables, vanities, bookcases, consoles, and extra, performs upon the outer reaches of paper as type. A remark by the artist upon the traditional materials’s power and sturdiness alone, and exponentially so in numbers – maybe a metaphor for humanity.

Sinuous, gestural, and natural, these sculptures – every handcrafted by Papuli who calls himself a “sculptographer” – outline an amorphous but approachable world. One the place colours appear to develop into each other, slight thicknesses wrapped round their neighbors, by definition figuring out the position of the subsequent. Created with care, this set up explores the complete potential of paper, creating stable and delightfully tactile kinds, the durability providing distinction inside the luminosity of the items on the ceiling.

A modern interior features a sculptural woodgrain-style desk, a matching textured cabinet, and geometric white hanging light fixtures.

Close-up of a sculpted object with layered, swirling patterns in black, brown, and beige, reminiscent of stratified wood or paper—characteristic of the Fragmenti series by Daniele Papuli.

A sculptural bookshelf with staggered, overlapping beige book-like forms creating a textured geometric pattern on a gray wall.

Modern interior with sculptural black and white columns, a round stool, and hanging geometric white paper-like shapes from the ceiling. Natural light enters through large windows.

Alongside the ceiling, in teams just like birds in flight, the solidity and weight of the paper items offers technique to manipulated sheets of the identical materials upon mobiles, suspended in area but at all times bolstered by the burden of others. The collaborative symbolism inside Papuli’s materials use is sort of endearing, using a seemingly humble materials to color metaphor in an approachable means.

A round mirror with a textured, wavy blue frame hangs on a light-colored wall, reflecting a pillar and ceiling lights. Part of a dark object and a small wooden shelf are visible on the right.

A modern room with sculptural black and white divider panels, a round blue mirror on the wall, and draped striped fabric, with soft natural light and white ceiling decorations.

Papuli’s course of pushes the fabric far past its typical associations with fragility. By painstakingly slicing and layering strips of paper, then mixing them with Isocell fiber enriched by pure pigments and oxides, Papuli kinds new surfaces that pulse with power and tactility. This fusion of paper and cellulose-based compound leads to textures and hues that recommend stone, bark, and even coral, creating a singular visible language rooted in nature however abstracted by way of craft.

A round, blue textured table with two patterned stools sits in front of a gray wall, featuring a yellow sculptural wall piece and a white hanging light fixture above.

A single red flower in a green vase is placed on a jagged, abstract yellow shelf against a textured gray wall.

Sculptural installation with textured yellow and green panels, a small round table, a mirror, and a matching green and pink round stool, set in a modern, light-filled space.

A modern lounge with mustard yellow sectional sofa and chairs, a pink side table, a beige rug, and sculptural white ceiling lights in a minimalist gray room.

Two cylindrical stools with swirling patterns sit beneath suspended, sculptural white paper forms casting shadows on a plain gray wall.

A freestanding sculptural screen resembling stacked, wavy book pages with a snake-like form entwined around its center, displayed in a bright, modern gallery space.

A freestanding, cylindrical partition made of wavy, layered wooden panels sits on a polished concrete floor in a modern interior space.

A sculptural console table with curved, wavy marbled patterns is mounted against a textured gray wall; a small matching bowl sits on top.

A group of sculptural vases made from layered, recycled paper is displayed on a white platform against a neutral wall.

A modern living room with a mustard yellow sectional sofa, metallic tables with pink accents, a white rug, abstract ceiling lights, and sculptural decor pieces.

Daniele Papuli occurred upon paper by likelihood, after taking a workshop on the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan. After honing his expertise at Missoni, this sparked a multi-decade exploration within the materials, producing large-scale paper sculptures that defy conventional use. Impressed by the rustling fields of wheat present in his hometown of Apulia, Italy, he deftly interprets this motion into his work, infusing a way of quiet recognition among the many sheets.

A person sits on a sculptural table in a studio filled with colorful, patterned vases and vessels, with shelves and counters displaying more objects in the background.

Daniele Papuli

For extra info on the Fragmenti assortment by Daniele Papuli, please go to danielepapuli.com.

Images by Margherita Bonetti.

Rising up in NYC has given Aria a singular perspective into artwork + design, continuously striving for brand new tasks to get immersed in. An avid baker, crocheter, and pasta maker, handwork and private contact is central to what she loves in regards to the constructed atmosphere. Exterior of town, she enjoys climbing, biking, and studying about area.