Contemporary sculpture will be one of the central languages of the new edition of YouNique, understood as a space for research, material, and presence in space. Three-dimensionality returns as a physical, concrete experience, capable of triggering a careful and conscious gaze. The works presented at the 2026 Boutique Fair explore different approaches to form, volume, and materials, bringing together tradition and experimentation, technical mastery and contemporary vision. This selection brings together established masters and independent, highly distinctive artists, offering collectors works that combine aesthetic value, technique, and identity.
Independent sculptors at YouNique Boutique Fair of Arts 2026
Among the most notable names is Andrea Roggi (Room 8), a world-renowned artist who has chosen bronze as his preferred medium. Through the ritual of lost-wax casting, he masterfully transforms clay models into large-scale works, rich in detail and exquisite execution. Alongside him is Marco Piva (Room 6), an Italian artist, architect, and designer with a global career and a unique, recognizable language. A protagonist of transversal projects worldwide, from masterplans to architecture, interiors, and product design, he presents, in partnership with Helios Automazioni, The Lightness of Stone, a sensorial journey in which marble soars in the lightness of light.
Metal casting is now at the heart of Guido Angeletti‘s (Room 10) research, whose works always arise from a drawing or a quick note capable of capturing a fleeting idea. After experimenting with various materials and precious metals, he focuses his attention on the transmutation of emotions and sensations into a solid, lasting material. Irena Dragova‘s sculptures (Room 15) are also highly recognizable, characterized by confident lines and a personal language. She resolutely incorporates a tactile element into the mental definition of her works, which becomes a distinctive part of her research.
Ceramics is the most faithful companion in the artistic journey of Claudia Von Boch (Room 12), born in Canada and trained in Argentina. Geology is an integral part of her work: she creates her pieces by salvaging clay, slip, and glaze remnants from her studio, transforming the material into a central element of the visual narrative. Established in Milan in 1955, Gioielleria Mario Sessa (Room 8) engages with the world of art and collecting. It has been recognized over the years as a “Historical Workshop” and “Historical Store.” Since 2014, it has participated in major industry events in Italy and Europe, expanding its research into contemporary art and modern antiques, and acquiring the world’s largest collection of Neos Clocks designed by Nathalie Du Pasquier and George Sowden, members of the Memphis Milano group.
After various experiences abroad and in Basel, Francesca Petrarca (Room 11) settled in Stabio, where she lives and works in her own studio. Her encounter with Alberto Giacometti’s works was instrumental in her approach to sculpture, a discipline through which she channels energy and emotion, giving them concrete form. Her training in Plastic Research marked the beginning of Federica Rettore‘s (Room 25) career, and she founded her own atelier dedicated to jewelry design and production. Her style is distinguished by its originality and eclectic approach to materials, from the most precious to the most unusual, conceiving each creation as a miniature sculpture.
Born in Venice, Mauro Bonaventura (Room 25) developed a passion for the art of glass, learning glassblowing and decoration techniques. He later dedicated himself to lampworking, which allowed him to create small-scale works characterized by great precision in the use of incandescent material. Raised in Davos in a natural landscape that nurtured his passion for drawing, Carlo Minelli (Room 5) initially approached metal forging before moving on to clay and sculpture, gradually expanding the scale of his work until collaborating with the Mendrisio art foundry.
In the works of Manuela Rossi (Room 18), a subtle threshold between desire and illusion is perceived. Through an interplay of curves, veils, and transparencies, the female body fades into an idea that evokes the fragility of sensuality and the pursuit of beauty as a hint of a dream. At the heart of Raffaele Russo‘s (Room 33) research is the delicate relationship between the individual and society and the fragile bond between man and nature. Attracted to experimenting with different materials but with a predilection for marble, he explores its expressive and sensorial potential, ranging from figurative to abstract.
A visionary Milanese artist who grew up in Stresa, Stefano L’Altrella (Room 32) gives new life to objects considered unnecessary or marked by breakage, transforming them into unique works in which the scar becomes a symbol of rebirth and healing. Vanda Archi (Room 4) is a constantly evolving ceramist. Her works express interiority through faces, busts, and bodies wrapped in symbolic ribbons; Sculptural petal-like hair, textured surfaces, and kintsugi-inspired techniques complete a unique and recognizable language.
Finally, Vincenzo Accardo (Room 29) presents his first exhibition in Lugano, with actual sale of works to which he is deeply attached: a collection of artistic illuminated ornaments, never before exhibited to the public, which mark a significant moment in his career.
