So what is an UltraFragola anyway? UltraFragola (pronounced Ul-tra-fruh-g’ollah — as in galah, not pergola, yah?) gets its name from the iconic mirror design belonging to ‘i mobili grigi’ (The Grey Furniture) collection designed by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova.

In a written piece accompanying the collection, Sottsass asks one to fill a room with as much mobili grigi as possible until that room becomes ‘totally covered or destroyed’. Successfully achieved, the inhabitant will feel themselves ‘suffocated by roundish, inflated (forever) forms’ and ‘grey, shiny, fibreglass plastics’. A ‘geological slip’ will occur and cause them to feel ‘completely isolated from everything which is outside the room’, like being ‘on a silent trip into the black solid sky between Mars (the planet) and Orion (the star).’ This exact emotional response is precisely what you will experience upon purchasing any one of the glorious items on offer from UltraFragola! 😎

UltraFragola is a Melbourne (Naarm) based online store with a continually rotating supply of timeless and iconic design pieces and a collection of original artworks. Launched in 2019 as a way for its founder, Matthew Campisi, to reclaim some floor space at home and share the vintage finds he had amassed, UltraFragola celebrates a passion for 20th century design with a curious obsession for anything Italian.

Matthew works as a communication designer and pursues his love for art and furniture during his off time. It his love for design and his communication design background that inspire his freeform and distinct artworks.