Milan, Italy – Creativity knows no boundaries. Even worlds that seem distant can merge in synergy, crafting an authentic dialogue that shifts perspectives. During this year’s Milan Design Week, the result of one such encounter takes place: Gaetano Pesce’s Oman Collection is showcased as part of the exhibition titled: ‘Gaetano Pesce. Una festa per l’architettura. Modelli, pensieri e disegni.’, in collaboration with Amouage, the renowned Omani High Perfumery House.

Creative synergy

The creative saga between Gaetano Pesce and Amouage arose when Amouage’s chief creative officer Renaud Salmon sent a package of Omani Frankincense resin to the Italian design pioneer. He asked whether this resin could serve as the starting point for a new creative endeavour. Intrigued, Pesce began to experiment, giving form to the concept that would eventually evolve in the Oman Collection, showcased in this exhibition.

In spring 2023, Salmon invited Pesce to what would become a revelatory trip to the enchanting Frankincense trees valley of Wadi Dawkah UNESCO World Heritage site in Oman. This protected, almost mystical sanctuary is home to thousands of Boswellia sacra trees. Humans have known and harvested these ancient trees for millennia, extracting a milky resin that, when distilled, becomes one of the key ingredients in High Perfumery.

The two visionaries continued this multi-disciplinary journey, during which Gaetano Pesce also created the visual identity for Wadi Dawkah, one that embraces both its history and its philosophy. The Wadi Dawkah logo, unique and recognisable, takes the form of a Frankincense resin drop containing its source, the tree. The cheerful smile and eye, an iconic signature of Pesce, embodies the site’s sustainable and ethical vision: happy trees and happy human beings.

Gaetano Pesce’s homage to Oman

The exhibition blends architectural design and the art of perfumery through an iconic ingredient: resin. Three select objects of Gaetano Pesce’s Oman collection are displayed, which seamlessly embody the dialogue between nature and plasticity.

While conceiving the Oman Collection, Gaetano Pesce experimented for the first time, during the casting, the combination of two polyurethanes: a resin and a gum. His aim was to find the right balance between rigidity and elasticity. The first piece, the ‘Oman Chair’ is infused with the stylised silhouette of a Frankincense tree: the chairback’s supporting structure is a bold reference to the tree’s gnarled branches. The second piece, titled ‘Oman Chair with Frankincense‘ pushes the concept further, with the addition of another resin, this time a natural one: Frankincense. In this piece, inspiration goes beyond design. The material itself carries Wadi Dawkah’s resinous soul: Frankincense is now part of the chair’s existence. The third and final piece, the ‘Oman Throne‘, is Pesce’s homage to the majestic presence of the Frankincense tree. Though this object does not incorporate Frankincense resin, it translates the tree’s imposing form into plasticity.

Pesce used his signature colour palette, which made him famous worldwide, blending primary colours and bringing complementary nuances to life with complete transparency. In this collection, he pushed the vibrancy even further, creating an almost playful, saturated visual effect.

Through inspiration, experimentation, and Pesce’s characteristic audacity, the three pieces of the Oman Collection stand as distinct elements, each embodying a different phase of the creative process. And yet, together, they constitute a touching, harmonious whole: one of Gaetano’s last gifts to design, to perfumery, and to the synergy born from diversity.

An extraordinary encounter requires an extraordinary venue. The exclusive exhibition is hosted at the renowned Gallery Antonia Jannone Disegni di Architettura, joining forces with Studio Gaetano Pesce and Contemplazioni, a company specialising in the production of art exhibitions and known for multiple collaborations with the design master.

This landmark exhibition follows its debut at Art Basel Miami 2023, where objects like the ‘Oman Cabinet’ were first presented. The ‘Oman Throne‘ and other items were exhibited in Gaetano’s posthumous show at the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana in 2024.

Come and visit the exhibition from April 8 – 13 and immerse yourself in the world of the design pioneer and his late-life homage to Oman.