Alphonse Mattia (1947 – April 10, 2023)[1] was an American furniture designer, woodworker, sculptor and educator. In 2005, Alphonse Mattia was elected a Fellow of the American Craft Council (ACC).
Alphonse Mattia | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1947 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | April 10, 2023 (aged 75–76) |
| Alma mater | Philadelphia College of Art, Rhode Island School of Design |
| Occupation(s) | woodworker, furniture designer, professor |
| Movement | Avant Garde Furniture, American Studio Furniture |
| Website | alphonsemattia |
Biography
Alphonse Mattia was born in 1947 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[2][3] He was raised in an Italian American, Catholic family.[4][5] He attended Philadelphia College of Art (now known as the University of the Arts) and graduated with a BFA degree. Mattia has a MFA degree in 1973 in industrial design from Rhode Island School of Design, where he also studied furniture under Tage Frid.[2]
Mattia taught at Virginia Commonwealth University (from 1973 to 1976); Boston University (from 1976 to 1985); the Swain School of Design (from 1985 to 1988); and at Rhode Island School of Design (starting in 1990).[5][6] Mattia was instrumental in the establishment of the Boston University Program in Artisanry in 1975, which was later purchased by the Swain School of Design in 1985.[4][7] The Program in Artisanry had emphasized art over craft.[4] Mattia's notable students included Emi Ozawa.[8]
Mattia's work can be found in museum collections including at the Smithsonian American Art Museum,[9] Museum of Arts and Design,[10] Museum of Fine Arts, Boston,[11] Philadelphia Museum of Art,[12] Rhode Island School of Design Museum,[13] and at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.[14]