Emmanuel Gallina

Background

Emmanuel Gallina is a French designer whose own website describes him under the line "The elegance of simplicity". He studied at E.N.A.D in Limoges and I.A.V in Orléans, then took a master's diploma in design and management at the Politecnico di Milano. He worked for seven years with Antonio Citterio in Milan before opening his own agency, which operates between Italy and France.

Signature Style

His site names elegance, clarity and simplicity as the keys of his work, and says attention to the contours, shapes and functionality of each piece is a constant priority. To describe his design he quotes Constantin Brancusi: "Simplicity is complexity resolved".

Notable Works

• Concorde table for Poliform, designed 2008 according to Poliform's page
• Grace chair for Poliform; its sister, the Sophie chair, is dated 2017 by Poliform
• Jane armchair for Poliform, designed 2017 according to Poliform
• Symphony sideboard, Curve collection, Orbis sofas and the Ponte outdoor collection for Poliform
• Maskara coiffeuse and Amarantha armchair for Porada; the Harold sofa for AMPM; the Iris chair for Milla & Milli

Legacy

His list of awards runs from the First Prize at the Utopia 1.0 competition (2002) to the Archiproduct Design Award in Milan (2025) for the Iris chair, and includes three Wallpaper Design Awards (2011, 2016 and 2022). Since 2010 he has also worked with companies as an art director, and he teaches at the Politecnico di Milano.