Designer Enzo Mari was born in Novara in Italy in 1932. He taught at several Italian institutions: the Politecnico di Milano, the Centre for Visual Communication in Parma, the Academy of Fine Arts in Carrara and the Umanitaria in Milan. His work focused primarily on psychology and the perception of space and colour.
Enzo Mari developed design toys, office accessories and furniture. He became known for his work for Danese Milano, his ceramics for Gabbianelli, his textiles and furniture for Driade, and his many books on aesthetics, the methods of perception and design, and the role of the artist in modern society.
Mari received the Compasso d'Oro in 1967 as a design theorist, in 1979 for his 'Delfina' chair for Driade (later Robots) and in 1987. From 1976 to 1979, he was President of the Associazione per il Disegno Industriale (ADI), and he later served on the board of the Centro Studi e Archivio della Comunicazione in Parma.
