Benedetta PompiliDesignCeramicsMaterial researchEditorials
About Benedetta Pompili (IT, 1995) is a social designer based in Amsterdam. A dedication to materials with a focus on their cultural and environmental impact identifies her practice. Her research & design works become journeys to learn, retrace, and share knowledge by thinking and acting in an interdisciplinary way.
EducationMA, Social Design, Design Academy Eindhoven (NL), Cum laude, 2019–2021.
Erasmus, Peter Behrens School of Architecture and Design, Düsseldorf (DE), 2017.
BA, Industrial Design & Ceramics, ISIA Faenza (IT), Cum laude, 2014–2018.
Recent workCeramic workshop, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam (NL), 2023–ongoing.
Founder & designer, vuur collective, Amsterdam (NL), October 2024-ongoing.
Designer in residency, Creative Residency Arita (Japan), January–March 2024.
Lecturer, Natural Materials in Ceramics, The Material Way, January 2024–ongoing.
Fellow Researcher, LINA x TU Wien, October 2023–August 2024.
Tutor, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam (NL), September–June 2023.
Ceramic workshop specialist, KABK, The Hague (NL), January–August 2023.
Tech Fellow, Rijskakademie van beeldende kunsten, Amsterdam (NL), Jan-Dec 2022
Selected shows Conversing with Matter, WaterSpiegelingen, Cuyperhuis (NL), June 2024–ongoing.
RAW.obj, Pioneers in Ceramics, Prinsenhof Museum Delft (NL), February–June 2024.
Conversing with Matter, Princessehof Ceramic Museum (NL), Nov 2023–2024.
In Presence of Your Absence + RAW.obj, Open Studios, Rijkskademie (NL), 2024.
In Presence of Your Absence, Hong Kong Design Institute (CH), January–May 2024.
In Presence of Your Absence, ADI Design Museum, Milan (IT), 2023.
In Presence of Your Absence, Material District, Utrecht (NL), 2023.
Vestiges, Alcova, Milan Design Week, Fuorisalone, Milan (IT), 2023.
Raw.obj, Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten (NL), 2022.
SPAZIO 1/2, Drop City, Fuorisalone, Milano (IT), 2022.
Ciona Are Doing Well, SVA Bio Art Lab, New York, 2022.
Conversing with Matter, DAE75!, Fuorisalone, Milano (IT), 2022.
Conversing with Matter, Rethinking Plastic, Yksi Expo , Eindhoven (NL), 2022.
Conversing with Matter, Design Fest Gent, Design Museum (BE), 2022.
Conversing with Matter, From the Ground Up, Material Source Studio (UK), 2022.
Conversing with Matter, Design Open, Kazerne, Eindhoven (NL), 2021–2022.
Conversing with Matter, DDW2021, DAE Graduation Show, Eindhoven (NL).
Ciona Are Doing Well, Interspecies Futures, NY Center for Book Arts, 2020.
Publications (w)aardewerk, Volskrant Magazine, October 2024.
Schnitt Magazine, Issue 02: Craftmanship, September 2024.
Raw.obj, Pioneering Ceramics, June 2024.
Conversing with Matter, Design Unlimited Turkey, October 2023.
In Presence of Your Absence, Mousse Magazine Ed., 2023.
Conversing with Matter, DAMN Magazine, Issue N° 82, June 2022.
Conversing with Matter, Plural Magazine, 2022.
Conversing with Matter, Elementa Oslo, 2022.
Conversing with Matter, The Color Association, 2021.
Conversing with Matter, Het Financieele Dagblad, Culture section, 2021.
 Conversing with Matter, Wallpaper Magazine, 2021.
Ciona Are Doing Well, Design Parallax, MDFF Greece, 2020.
RecognitionsGrant, Professionalisation and deepening of practice, Stimuleringsfonds, 2024-2025.
Grant, Starting Design Grant, Stimuleringsfonds, 2023-2024.     
Award, Young New Talent, Material District, Utrecht (NL), 2023.
Grant, Creative Residency Arita, Japan, Stimuleringsfonds, 2022-2024.
Grant, Building Talent, Stimuleringsfonds, 2021.
Nominee, Gijs Bakker Design Award, Design Academy Eindhoven, 2021.
Studio detailsKvK 84375779
Font in use: Authentic Sans by Christina Janus and Desmond Wong.
©Benedetta Pompili 2024
Instagraminfo@benedettapompili.com
In Presence of Your Absence
  • ADI Design Museum
  • Lamp, porcelain, glaze
  • made of treated asbestos,
  • steel beam, LED, perspex
  • tube. 33x33x20 cm.



In Presence of Your Absence is a lamp-assemblage, composed by a translucent porcelain diffuser and upcycled architectural parts. It invites to look through the core of the project: a ceramic glaze made by treated asbestos.
The design promotes circular modes of production while supporting the research to counter the issues related to asbestos. The asbestos-cement, composing the 70% of the glaze, becomes inert through a low-temperature treatment, which in turn reuses local chemical waste. The patented process is the result of a collaboration with the research center Asbetter Holding (Rotterdam, NL), focusing on reducing the toxic impact of asbestos fibres.
       The project was shown at the ADI Design Museum (Milan, IT) in occasion of the echibition “Italy: A new collective landscape”, curated by Angela Rui, Elisabetta Donati de Conti, e Matilde Losi, as an example of regenerative design.