Gino Sarfatti was a significant figure in the history of Italian industrial design, developing more than 700 luminaires. He learned the craft of lighting design while working at the Milan-based company Lumen founding his own company Arteluce in 1939. The highly innovative company brought lighting into the 20th century combining innovative ideas with groundbreaking design.
Arteluce won numerous awards including the Compasso d'Oro in 1954 and 1955, and the Honorary Diploma of the Milan Triennale. The first Milanese Arteluce retail space was designed with Marco Zanuso in 1951. Ten years later Gino Sarfatti and his lifelong friend Vittoriano Vigano designed their flagship location on Via della Spiga.
Throughout his career, Gino Sarfatti explored and was inspired by new product typologies, innovative materials, lighting technologies, and production techniques. His hybrid talent as a designer and engineer enabled him to created ground-breaking products in both aesthetics and function.
In 1973 Sarfatti retired on Lake Comoto to pursue a passion for stamp collecting. Italian company Flos then acquired Arteluce and its expansive lighting catalog.