Milan, Italy—Antolini and Florence-based Murran Billi have launched their partnership, which culminated in the unveiling of four unique projects during Milan Design Week 2025. Antolini’s Stoneroom, located in the heart of the city, served as the stage for the artworks—each designed to represent a journey from the Renaissance to the present, through four iconic figures of the era, all linked to the de’Medici family.
At the heart of the project is visionary artist Murran Billi, whose work is centered on the human figure, intending to blend the essence of classical Italian tradition with contemporary sensibility.
Through his collaboration with Antolini, Billi explored the dialogue between antiquity and the future, where he chose natural stone as a medium to implement aesthetics into his creations. Additionally, his works incorporate layers of paint, a technique applied to reinterpret classical marble craftsmanship and infuse it with new meaning.
Billi chose four women from the de’ Medici lineage as the symbolic core of his artworks—meant to represent emblems of Renaissance ideals, intellectual strength and political influence. These female figures are not only considered the core of the cultural legacy of their time but also represent an expression of power, resilience and vision.
“The de’Medici, through their intelligence, were able not only to preserve power, but to elevate it, making the family a cornerstone in the history of art and politics,” Billi said.
The women portrayed—Clarice de’ Medici, Clarice Orsini, Lucrezia de’ Medici and Lucrezia Tornabuoni—each inspired a dedicated artwork. Their portraits are rendered in intentionally selected natural stones, chosen for their expressive qualities and symbolic resonance. Cristallo Rosa “Wow” natural quartz, from Antolini’s Exclusive Collection, along with Onice Bianco “Extra” onyx and Onice Verde Persiano “Light” onyx from the Natural Stone Collection, give form to this design in an effort to merge historical depth with contemporary vision.
Through this project, Antolini says it intends to underscore the idea that natural stone is far more than just a material or structural element—it aims to be a living symbol of history, art and nature itself.