A revolutionary in design history, Ettore Sottsass brought color, humor, and sensuality to the austere landscape of modernism. Founder of the Memphis Group in the 1980s, Sottsass rejected functionalist dogma in favor of expressive, symbolic design that spoke to emotion and culture. His objects and furniture combined radical form, bold patterns, and bright colors to evoke a new visual language. Beyond Memphis, his architectural and industrial work for Olivetti and others reflected his lifelong interest in human connection, ritual, and meaning through design.