Umberto Bellardi Ricci is a German-Italian architect, sculptor, and designer based in New York, whose practice operates at the intersection of architecture, sculpture, and collectible design. Following years of teaching at leading avant-garde institutions—including the Architectural Association in London and Cornell University in New York—he established his studio in 2019 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. His early experimental work in cast concrete, developed in collaboration with the Mexican collective Tezontle at the sculpture garden Las Pozas, continues to inform his material and spatial investigations.

Bellardi Ricci presented his inaugural collection of sculptural furniture at Matter gallery in New York in July 2021. Titled Dawn, the exhibition explored the dialogue between design and sculpture, examining architectural space through sculptural form. The collection juxtaposed ready-made industrial materials such as steel and aluminium with finely crafted elements in stone, glass, and textiles, revealing a tension between raw structure and refined surface.

The architectural language of New York—particularly the verticality and rhythm of its skyline—has since become embedded in his work, a relationship highlighted in The New York Times feature “Lamps and Sculptures That Evoke New York City Skyscrapers.” Today, Bellardi Ricci is engaged in projects across New York, London, Paris, and Milan, while preparing a new solo exhibition of sculptural furniture and light works. His studio also designs interiors, creating bespoke lighting, furniture, and objects for residential and retail spaces.