Lilì e Lulù Oil & Vinegar Set in Blown Glass by Matteo Cibic for Paola C., Set of 2

Matteo Cibic was born in Parma, Italy in 1983. He studied art and design at the Kent Institute of Art and Design (KIAD) in Canterbury, UK earning his BTEC diploma in 2001. He went on to earn his Bachelor’s degree from the Politecnico di Milano School of Design in 2004, and studied at Fabrica in Treviso, Italy in 2006.

Having interned at Studio Camuffo, Venice in 2002 and the Cibic Workshop (with his uncle, noted designer Aldo Cibic) in Milan in 2005, he later worked at April design studio, also in Milan, in 2008 and, in 2009, founded 10A, a tailor workshop that produces men’s trousers and eclectic formal outfits. He had already established his own branding and design studio in 2006 in Milan; in 2009 the studio moved to Vicenza; in 2011 to Milan; and in 2014 back to Vicenza. The studio focuses on product design and creative direction for brands such as Beck’s, Benetton Group (Fabrica), Calligaris, Nespresso, Paola C., Thun, and Zona Tortona, among others.

Cibic’s designs are driven by an experimental approach, incorporating varied materials and production techniques. Notable projects to date include Domsai, a desk terrarium (2008), and the Uzito Collection (2014), a series of hand-blown glass cloches produced in collaboration with Secondome Gallery in Rome.

His work has been included in several temporary and permanent exhibitions worldwide at institutions such as the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Shanghai Glass Museum, and the Triennale Design Museum, Milan.

Founded in 2000, Paola C. is the result of the creative relationship between founder Paola Coin and in-house artistic director Aldo Cibic. They began producing household accessories and objects over which people can share moments, memories and encounters. The collection started with a line of hand-finished ceramics and a line of hand-blown glass objects. The research has since expanded with the exploration of other materials including wood, metal and silver-plating. The following projects consist of cooperative projects and exhibitions with design schools, which lead to a lot of lucky encounters, including one with Bijoy Jain which led to a Woodwork exhibition in 2012. In 2014, Paola C. decided to add to the collection a series of short stories that relate to the creation of the objects that they produce and design. The first story designed by Jaime Hayon in 2014, was followed by Tavola Gioia by Aldo Cibic, Dolce Vita by Cristina Celestino, Paesaggio Lunare by Elisa Ossino and Coquille by Chiara Andreatti. The commitment of Paola C. to give a chance to the youngest faces to design continues leading to dedicated exhibitions all around the world.