Designer Jorge Pensi, one of the most influential personalities in contemporary international design, renowned for his creations that blend aesthetics, functionality, expression and timelessness, died on 5 November. He was 79.
Pensi worked with a host of interiors brands including Pendrali, DAC Rugs, Kusch+Co, B.Lux, Resol, Vondom, Viccarbe and Poggenpohl. He is perhaps best known for his 1988 Toldeo chair and table for Amat-3, both of which were later adopted by Knoll.
Born in Buenos Aires in 1946, Pensi completed his studies in architecture in his home city before leaving Argentina in 1975 in search of new horizons and ready to embrace new challenges, settling in Barcelona, where he later became a Spanish citizen. Together with fellow designer Alberto Liévore, theorists Noberto Chaves and Oriol Piebernat, he founded the design research group Berenguer in 1977, named after the city’s square. In 1984 he founded Jorge Pensi Design Studio.
Over the course of his career, he received numerous prizes and awards, including the Spanish National Design Prize in 1997. During his very recent and last visit to Buenos Aires, the Toledo chair was incorporated into the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art Buenos Aires.
‘When you design something, you have to forget the world you live in: you have to try to create an object that will last over time,’ he said. ‘The outcome is not always pre-determined, the best is yet to come,’ is another oft quoted phrase of Pensi’s.
‘Jorge was not only an exceptional designer, but a visionary companion, capable of creating a dialogue between design and emotions. His influence has left an indelible mark on the history of Pedrali and the entire contemporary design scene,’ say Monica and Giuseppe Pedrali, Pendrali ceos.
‘Jorge and his studio collaborated with Pedrali on the creation of numerous collections that became iconic, including the latest collection of Diego side tables. We like to remember him through his own words, which enclose his vision and his desire to leave a lasting mark: ‘What I truly love is to survive – and how can I survive? Through objects. My intention has always been to design timeless pieces,”.’
