Ebonized Oak Stool
by OggettoForte · Bruxelles, Belgium

Oggetto Forte is a furniture and art workshop founded by Matteo Villa in Brussels. Our project combines minimalist design with handcrafted, sustainable furniture, creating pieces that are both timeless and functional. Almost all of the wood we use comes from Belgium, carefully selected for its quality and character. At every stage of the process, we focus on sustainability, from the choice of wood to the eco-friendly products used for finishing. In addition to furniture, we create unique art pieces that sit between art and design: wooden frames housing papier-mâché mural works that explore texture, form, and material presence. Many of these works investigate the visual language of stone, mineral surfaces, and compressed matter, translating the weight and silence of rock into lightweight sculptural forms. Matteo Villa’s background in geology informs this research, bringing a specific understanding of stratification, erosion, and material formation. This scientific perspective shapes the studio’s approach to both sculpture and furniture, where surfaces are treated not only as design elements but as physical records of pressure, time, and structure. Each piece is developed through a hands-on process that combines technical knowledge, manual experimentation, and a strong attention to tactile experience, resulting in objects that balance precision, durability, and a quiet architectural presence.