Emilio Ambasz
New York, United States

Emilio Ambasz, born in 1943 in Argentina, studied at Princeton University. He completed the undergraduate program in one year and earned, the next year, a Master's Degree in Architecture from the same institution. He served as Curator of Design at the Museum of Modern Art, in New York (1970-76), where he directed and installed numerous influential exhibits on architecture and industrial design, among them "Italy: The New Domestic Landscape," in 1972; "The Architecture of Luis Barragan," in 1974; and "The Taxi Project",in 1976.
In 1987 and 1988, the Industrial Designer's Society of America granted its Industrial Design Excellence top award for his Soffio, a modular lighting system. In1989, the ID Designer's Choice Award for design excellence and innovation was given for AquaColor, a watercolor set. More recently, in 1992, IDSA again awarded Mr. Ambasz top honors for his innovative design of the Handkerchief Television, as well as awards for his Sunstar Toothbrushes and the Soft Notebook, and in 2000, the IDSA/Business Week GOLD AWARD for Design Excellence went to Mr. Ambasz for Saturno, an innovative street lighting system. The Tenth Biennial of Industrial Design (BIO 10, Ljublianna, 1984) granted Mr. Ambasz their Jury Special Award "for his many contributions to the design field."