Hailing from the artistic city of Padua, Italy, brothers Pio and Tito Toso have become celebrated figures in contemporary Italian design. Since beginning their collaboration in 1996, they have built a reputation for blending technical precision with creative artistry. Their design philosophy is rooted in the idea that every creation should be both functional and beautiful, often inspired by the fluidforms of nature and the clean lines of modernism.
Transforming Light into Art
While their portfolio spans architecture, furniture, and urban planning, it is in the world of Italian lighting design that the Toso brothers have made their greatest impact. They treat light not just as a utility, but as an artistic medium. Each piece functions as both a modern lighting fixture and a sculptural element, shaping interiors through dynamic atmospheres and expressive patterns of light and shadow.
Collaboration with Artemide: Innovation in Modern Lighting
The collaboration between Pio and Tito Toso and Artemide highlights their ability to merge innovation with artistry. Among their most iconic works is the Meteorite Collection, which features a double-layer artistic glass diffuser, handmade using the mould-blowing technique followed by grinding. The result is a surface reminiscent of Murano’s traditional battuto glass, with its beautifully textured, beaten look.
The Meteorite Collection is versatile, available as a wall light, ceiling fixture, table lamp, and pendant light. Each piece embodies Artemide’s forward-thinking approach to modern lighting design, offering not just illumination but also a tactile, sculptural presence that enriches interior spaces.
Stilnovo: Reinventing Mid-Century Elegance
For Stilnovo, the brothers created the Honey Collection, a series inspired by the natural geometry of honeycombs. This collection explores the relationship between light and form through a modular design language, where each element fits together seamlessly to create lightweight, dynamic structures.
The Honey Collection achieves a delicate balance between direct and indirect illumination, enhancing the three-dimensionality of each fixture. The line includes the Honey Wall (in two sizes) and the Honey Pendant Light (available in two styles). With its geometric elegance and playful modularity, the Honey Collection perfectly embodies Stilnovo’s mid-century heritage reimagined for contemporary interiors.
Vistosi and the Beauty of Murano Glass Lighting
In partnership with Vistosi, Pio and Tito Toso pay tribute to the traditions of Murano glass lighting with the Balance Collection. Drawing inspiration from the elliptical orbit of a planet around the sun, these designs symbolise harmony and equilibrium created by unseen forces.
Crafted with mouth-blown Murano glass, the Balance Collection provides a soft, diffused light that enhances interior atmospheres with subtle elegance. Each piece showcases the artisanal craftsmanship of Venetian glassmakers while embodying the Toso brothers’ modern sculptural design language.
Lodes: Poetic Innovation in Motion
With Lodes (formerly Studio Italia Design), the Toso brothers created the Blow Table Lamp, a design that feels as light as a breath. Like a delicate bubble of blown glass, Blow embodies transparency and elegance while offering an interactive experience. Its LED light source is guided by a magnetic system that glides effortlessly along the diffuser, allowing beams of light to shift and transform with a simple gesture. Ethereal yet precise, Blow captures the brothers’ gift for uniting poetic beauty with technical innovation, resulting in a design that is both timeless and original.
Illuminating the Future of Italian Design
Through collections like Meteorite for Artemide, Honey for Stilnovo, and Balance for Vistosi, the Toso brothers demonstrate their unparalleled ability to combine innovation, artistry, and tradition. Their work proves that lighting can transcend function to become an expression of culture, history, and modern living.
Today, Pio and Tito Toso remain at the forefront of Italian lighting design, creating pieces that continue to inspire architects, interior designers, and design enthusiasts worldwide. With their distinctive vision, they have secured their legacy as true masters of light.
Shop Pio & Tito Toso products at Nook Collections today!
