Andrea Valentini
Encyclopedia
Andrea Valentini graduated from Rhode Island School of Design
(RISD) 1995 with both Fine Arts and Bachelor Interior Architecture Degrees.
Upon graduation she and a colleague architect from RISD founded an interior architecture firm and she was recognized for her award winning designs for commercial and residential projects. Her interiors were custom down to the furniture and lighting and she would soon evolve from interiors to establish her own signature furniture and personal accessory collections.
In 2000 Andrea launched her furniture collections and in 2001 made a New York debut at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, ICFF. Her furniture was fresh and innovative using industrial materials like polyurethanes and ethylenes, sculpted into organic forms. The most outstanding piece to receive critical acclaim was her Coosh Egg Chair, A ball of high density foam cut from a block that breaks open into a chair and ottoman. This was awarded by Interior Design Magazine as one of their pics for their future furniture competition as well as being nominated for Best Product Design in 2003 by the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum.
Her work has appeared in galleries and museums in the US, Europe, and Asia. In 2002 she exhibited in Gifu Japan with Yoshiko Ebihara. Also she was asked to submit a body of work to the Cooper-Hewitt
for their National Design Triennial of which she was chosen among 80 American designers to exhibit in 2003, Inside Design Now. In 2005 she developed a signature sculptural textile from a process of fusing and molding fabrics with foams into textures which are sensual yet durable. In 2006 she exhibited in Second Skin with Ellen Lubton in Essen Germany, Japan an Mexico. In 2007 she launched her first collection of lifestyle bags for women and men. In addition to bags, Valentini has successful jewelry collections, such as the particularly successful DNA collection, which, since 2002 has been represented by Museum of Modern Art, (MoMA) NYC, Japan, Korea and Takashimaya, NYC who also carry her bags. In 2009 she opened her first flagship in Providence RI.
In addition to her showroom she conceived of a gallery exclusively for RISD Seniors called, LAUNCH with the intention of offering a solo show to an outstanding senior graduate as their initial launch into the world of public art. The work is for sale and has been extremely successful.
In 2010 Andrea will launch an exclusive collection of women’s wear derived from her sculptural fabrics to debut at Providence Style Week. She has collaborated with RISD Apparel Design Senior David Yoo to feature their new label AnD, which will included men’s and women’s looks. Together they will appear at Providence Style Week on June 08, 2010. The exclusive collections will feature one of a kind pieces under the name AnD and will be made to order only.
Valentini’s work throughout the past ten years has been featured in: The New York Times, Washington Post, Financial Times, and several magazines to include: Interior Design, I.D, Dwell, Parenting, Surface and Metropolis. She is a member of the IDNF-"International Design Network Foundation". Andrea is appointed to the board of the Rhode Island State Council for the Arts (RISCA).
Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design is a fine arts and design college located in Providence, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1877. Located at the base of College Hill, the RISD campus is contiguous with the Brown University campus. The two institutions share social, academic, and community resources and...
(RISD) 1995 with both Fine Arts and Bachelor Interior Architecture Degrees.
Upon graduation she and a colleague architect from RISD founded an interior architecture firm and she was recognized for her award winning designs for commercial and residential projects. Her interiors were custom down to the furniture and lighting and she would soon evolve from interiors to establish her own signature furniture and personal accessory collections.
In 2000 Andrea launched her furniture collections and in 2001 made a New York debut at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, ICFF. Her furniture was fresh and innovative using industrial materials like polyurethanes and ethylenes, sculpted into organic forms. The most outstanding piece to receive critical acclaim was her Coosh Egg Chair, A ball of high density foam cut from a block that breaks open into a chair and ottoman. This was awarded by Interior Design Magazine as one of their pics for their future furniture competition as well as being nominated for Best Product Design in 2003 by the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum.
Her work has appeared in galleries and museums in the US, Europe, and Asia. In 2002 she exhibited in Gifu Japan with Yoshiko Ebihara. Also she was asked to submit a body of work to the Cooper-Hewitt
Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum
Cooper–Hewitt, National Design Museum, a subsidiary of the Smithsonian Institution, is the United States' national museum of design history and contemporary design and the only museum in the U.S. whose collection is solely focused on contemporary and historic design...
for their National Design Triennial of which she was chosen among 80 American designers to exhibit in 2003, Inside Design Now. In 2005 she developed a signature sculptural textile from a process of fusing and molding fabrics with foams into textures which are sensual yet durable. In 2006 she exhibited in Second Skin with Ellen Lubton in Essen Germany, Japan an Mexico. In 2007 she launched her first collection of lifestyle bags for women and men. In addition to bags, Valentini has successful jewelry collections, such as the particularly successful DNA collection, which, since 2002 has been represented by Museum of Modern Art, (MoMA) NYC, Japan, Korea and Takashimaya, NYC who also carry her bags. In 2009 she opened her first flagship in Providence RI.
In addition to her showroom she conceived of a gallery exclusively for RISD Seniors called, LAUNCH with the intention of offering a solo show to an outstanding senior graduate as their initial launch into the world of public art. The work is for sale and has been extremely successful.
In 2010 Andrea will launch an exclusive collection of women’s wear derived from her sculptural fabrics to debut at Providence Style Week. She has collaborated with RISD Apparel Design Senior David Yoo to feature their new label AnD, which will included men’s and women’s looks. Together they will appear at Providence Style Week on June 08, 2010. The exclusive collections will feature one of a kind pieces under the name AnD and will be made to order only.
Valentini’s work throughout the past ten years has been featured in: The New York Times, Washington Post, Financial Times, and several magazines to include: Interior Design, I.D, Dwell, Parenting, Surface and Metropolis. She is a member of the IDNF-"International Design Network Foundation". Andrea is appointed to the board of the Rhode Island State Council for the Arts (RISCA).