Les Ateliers Courbet, is pleased to announce the very first New York exhibition of Italian artist and furniture maker, Mauro Mori. The show will feature a comprehensive selection of sculptural furniture pieces and vessels hand-crafted at the artist's studios in Milan and in the Seychelles. The exhibition opens to the public on May 5 in conjunction with the Art and Design fairs in the city – TEFAF NY, Frieze and Collective Design.

A native of Cremona, Italy, Mori was born in 1965 and spent much of his youth traveling the world, a pastime that would greatly impact his future work as an esteemed artist and furniture maker, blurring the boundaries between sculptural and functional design. The scope of his work encompasses small decorative pieces, large scale sculptures commissioned for both private and public spaces, an extensive line of furniture creations made-to-order. The artist has also grown a loyal clientele of international collectors and appreciators for whom he creates unique furniture pieces.

Mori finds inspiration in the languages, cultural heritages, and symbolism he has encountered throughout his extensive travels. Translated through the hands of the artist, these ideas manifest into morpheus sculptural pieces that may often perform a function at the owner's discretion. Evoking the artist's personal experiences and emotions, the final silhouettes of Mauro's pieces get revealed by the subtraction of matter from marble or wood. Each is entirely hand-carved.

To encourage character and individuality, the pieces are most often carved in the place of the medium’s origin. Much of the wood is tropical Albizia, carved from massive blocks in the Seychelles, while the Carrara marble is carefully chosen by Mori in Northern Italy near the artist's second studio where they are carved. Like the wood, these solid, sculptural marble pieces begin as single blocks. The artist also works in metals, including bronze, silver, copper or mixed media. While many pieces are colored and finished with patinas, the metal’s natural oxidation is intentionally allowed to embrace the lives of the objects.

Mori’s work has been featured in countless art fairs and exhibitions throughout Europe. Until now, the artist was represented in the United States exclusively by Los Angeles’ prestigious interior design showroom Minotti. This event marks the first exhibition of Mauro Mori’s work on the East Coast. In celebration of Mauro Mori’s mastery of hand-craftsmanship in shaping natural materials, both open and limited edition furniture and decorative pieces will be on display and available at Les Ateliers Courbet, New York.