Born in 1930, Cesare ‘Joe’ Colombo trained first in painting and sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Brera and then in architecture at the Polytechnic of Milan. Forced to take over the family business in 1959, he finally set up his own design studio in 1962, where he created modular and dynamic furnishing accessories with futuristic lines for companies such as Oluce, Kartell and Alessi, among which stand out some pieces that have become emblematic of Italian design, such as the Tube Chair and the Spider lamp.

A great visionary of the 1960s, Colombo sought to anticipate the habitat of the future through the creation of interiors and living modules. Placing man in his daily life at the centre of his thinking, he promoted a total design thanks to technology and new materials. His work is characterised by modular and flexible furnitures that adapt to the needs of its user.

Despite his premature death in 1971 at the age of 41, Joe Colombo received numerous awards, including the Compasso d’Oro prize on several occasions and the Design International Award in Chicago in 1968.