Italian designer, 1912–1984. Founder of Arteluce in 1939. Gino Sarfatti graduated as a naval engineer from the University of Genoa and became one of Italy’s most recognized and talented lighting designers. Beginning in 1939, he started working in lighting and founded his own company, Arteluce, which quickly became a reference point for the modern lighting design movement, both in Italy and internationally.

Between the 1930s and 1970s, Sarfatti designed over 600 lamp models. Through his exploration and experimentation with new materials, such as Plexiglas, he emphasized the light sources themselves—including fluorescent tubes, bulbs, and the first halogen lamps. Light was a lifelong obsession for him.

A genius creator, he constantly pursued innovation in form, material, technology, and design aesthetics. Throughout his career, he received numerous awards, both for his own designs and for those produced by his company, including an honorary diploma from the Triennale di Milano. In 1951, Marco Zanuso designed the prestigious Arteluce store in Milan, which was later redesigned ten years later by Sarfatti’s close friend Vittoriano Vigano.

For many designers of the 1950s, Arteluce was an essential showcase. The list of talented and renowned designers presented by Arteluce is long and includes: Franco Albini, Franco Helg, Carlo Belgioioso, Peressuti, Ernesto Rogers, G.F. Frattini, Vittoriano Vigano, Sergio Asti, Vico Latis, Carlo Santi, Massimo Vignelli, Ico Parisi, Ugo Gregotti, Luigi Meneghetti, G. Stoppino, and L. Huber.