We’re looking forward to introducing you to Elena Salmistraro. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Elena, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: Who are you learning from right now?
I am learning to slow down and to look more carefully at the things around me. After years spent rushing from one project to the next, I feel the need to pause, to linger on details and nuances. Right now, I am devoting myself to painting, to research, to everything that requires time and slowness. This journey is not only a way to grow and improve, but also a way to find a deeper balance between what I create and what I live.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Elena Salmistraro, and I work as a designer. Through my work, I aim to create a language that connects art and design, objects and storytelling. I design collections for Italian and international companies, but I also pursue personal research through works closer to art, such as installations and experimental projects. What truly matters to me is giving life to objects with a soul, capable of telling stories, evoking emotions, and, why not, becoming small companions in everyday life.
My distinctive approach comes from a continuous exploration of forms and colors that can engage with the collective imagination. I often draw inspiration from myths, animals, fashion, and folk traditions. I always strive to build bridges between different worlds, blending languages and layering meanings.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
My first memory of feeling a sense of power does not involve a grand or dramatic gesture, but a small and intense moment, deeply personal and private. I clearly remember the satisfaction of seeing something I had imagined become reality, a drawing of mine that took shape in ceramics and became a small object. There was something extraordinary in noticing how what I created with my own hands could, even in a small way, influence the space around me. In that moment, I felt the true power of creation, shaping and evoking emotions through forms and colors. It was not about controlling others, but about having control over something of my own, and in that control I discovered freedom and trust in myself.
When you were sad or scared as a child, what helped?
As a child I found comfort in retreating into drawing and colors. Even just tracing a line or mixing different shades could calm me and make me feel more secure. There was and still is something magical in drawing that allows us to feel a bit more in control of the world around us.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
There are three that are certainly the most evident. The first, which we tell ourselves to feel more important or more innovative, is that design alone can change the world. Design can inspire, provoke, and guide, but it cannot solve social or environmental problems without a broader vision behind it.
The second is believing that following trends is the same as innovating. Many talk about trends as if they were revolutionary, but they are often just a passing phase. Innovation comes from observation, experimentation, and risk, not from replicating what works on the market.
Finally, there is the myth of the solitary genius, while the reality is that design is always a great team effort.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
Yes, it happens very often, fortunately. I believe that many times what we desire at the beginning is just an idea, a mental image of something we think will make us happy or feel right. But when you achieve it, you realize that true satisfaction doesn’t lie in the possession or the result itself, but in the journey, the discovery, the creative act that led you there. Often, the most precious thing is the experience and what you learn while pursuing a goal, not the goal itself. And it is precisely because of this feeling that every day I feel the desire to engage with new projects, to challenge myself, and to push my limits.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.elenasalmistraro.com
- Instagram: @elenasalmistraro
- Facebook: @elenasalmistrarodesign
Image Credits
Any photographer credits are included in the file name itself.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
