A descendant of an illustrious Ticino family of artists, he opened his own glass workshop in 1921. In the early 1920s he took part in the Venice Biennale, the Exposition des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and the exhibitions in Cologne and Barcelona. He combined extreme modernity and technical skill in his work. In 1932 he was called by Gio Ponti to share the direction of the newly founded FontanaArte, a role that gave him the opportunity to express all his creativity. Some of his most famous designs are still in production today, such as the Fontana curved table (1932), the Cartoccio vase (1932) and the Luminator floor lamp (1933).