Recently celebrated by a retrospective exhibition in Trento's Galleria Civica, Mario Bellini is one of the undisputed stars of Italian, even European, design.

Bellini was born in 1935 in the city of Milan, where he graduated with a degree in architecture at the age of 25. He started to build his career early on: his spectrum of accomplishments extends from urban and architectural design to furnishings and industrial design.

Among his many design projects, he was engaged by Olivetti, B&B Italia, Cassina, Brionvega and Yamaha. In addition, he was commissioned by the auto industry as a designer by both Fiat and Lancia. Artemide, Erco, and Flos, in the sector lamps and lighting, all employed the young designer, as well as Vitra, a high-profile name in office furnishings.

Bellini, together with friends Gae Aulenti, Gio Ponti and several other artists, contributed greatly to the revival of international interest in Italian design. In 1987, the MOMA in New York honored Bellini with a single-artist exhibition, the only one of its kind to be dedicated to a living individual. His works still comprise part of the museum's permanent collection, some 25 years after they were first presented.