Paola Colombari is the fourth generation of one of the oldest antique-dealer dynasties of northern Italy. After an intense activity in competitive skiing as a member of the Italian National team (including participation for six years in the World Cup for downhill skiing) and her studies at the University of Middle Eastern Archaeology, Paola co-founded with her sister Rossella her first gallery in 1981 in Turin and the second Gallery in 1989 in Milan. For approximately ten years the Gallery concentrated on the research of twentieth century design, actively participating in the development of modern collecting, with particular attention to the study and promotion of the infamous Turinese architect Carlo Mollino.
From 1984 to 1987, the two sisters organized the first auctions of modern design in Italy, including an important auction in 1985 dedicated to Mollino’s work and in 1986 the first auction dedicated to contemporary design which highlighted “Affinità Elettive”, with the famous collection from the Triennale design museum in Milan.
In 1989, Paola Colombari open her Gallery in Milan, exhibiting works by leading international designers, and soon became a cultural reference in the Italian and international design markets. Paola an innovative and multi-disciplinary figure, decided to branch away from her long experience with mid-century design and veer towards the experimentation of new postmodernist trends with the foundation in 1991 of the Brand “Edizioni Galleria Colombari” dedicated to the production in Limited Edition of Art-Design furnitures designed by important Italian and international designers such as: Karim Rashid, Antonio Cagianelli, David Palterer, Garouste & Bonetti, Riccardo Dalisi, Yaacov Kaufman, Joanna Lyle, Pawel Grunert; she has also collaborated with historical designers such as Ron Arad, Alessandro Mendini, Ettore Sottsass, Andrea Branzi, Adolfo Natalini, Mario Bellini, Bob Wilson, Matteo Thun. Paola Colombari collaborates today with the brasilian contemporary designer suchs as Sergio J.Matos, Ronald Scliar Sasson, Juliano Guidi, Alê Jordão, and the italian designer Alessandra Roveda, Adriana Fortunato e Caterina Lunghi.
In the year 2000 Paola Colombari launched her Gallery’s Contemporary Art sector, dealing with both Italian and international artists. Her passion and talent allowed her to develop and promote contemporary artistic avant-garde movements in the fields of photography, painting, and installations. The gallery collaborates with artists such as the German photographer Uli Weber, the British photographer David Yarrow, the American artist Tom Vack, the Italian artist Alessandro Vasapolli, the Brazilian artist Andrea de Carvalho, the Brazilian photographer Monica Silva, the italian artist, writer and movie director Marilù S.Manzini, and the Italian artists Alessandra Roveda and Carla Chiusano. With Roveda, who creates site-specific installations based on the art of crochet, Colombari curated in collaboration with Angela Missoni the exhibition “Home Sweet Home” in the Spazio Missoni in Milan. The exhibition received over 60,000 visitors in April 2019 during the Salone del Mobile.
Paola Colombari has collaborated with the theatrical artist Bob Wilson, the photographer Giovanni Gastel, the Iraqi artist Halim Al-Karim and with some important Indian artists; she has collaborated with important museums, such as: Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Montréal, Canada), KunsterKolonie Museum (Darmstadt, Germany), Museum of Gent and Oostende (Belgium), Kulturring StadtGallerie (Sundern), Museum of Contemporary Art (Castle of Warsaw, Poland), Italian Cultural Institute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Paris and Amsterdam). The Gallery participates in some of the most important international Art Fairs such as: PAD London, Design Days Dubai, Nomad St.Moritz, Arte Fiera Bologna, MiArt Milan, MIA Photo Fair Milan, Wopart Fair Lugano, Fotofever Paris. She has also contributed in the participation of her sister’s gallery (Galleria Rossella Colombari) in the fairs of Design Miami Basel.
