Harry Bertoia was born in Italy in 1915. He was an artist, art sculptor, and furniture designer. He emigrated to Detroit, Michigan, at the age of 15.
He studied art and design at Cass Technical High School and Cranbrook Academy of Art, where he met Walter Gropius, Charles and Ray Eames, and Florence Knoll.
Initially focused on painting and jewelry, Bertoia headed the metalworking department at Cranbrook in 1939.
In 1943, Bertoia moved to California to work with Charles and Ray Eames on the manufacture of wooden furniture.
Bertoia created numerous large-scale public sculptures. In 1950, he moved to Pennsylvania to work with Hans and Florence Knoll.
His "Sonambient" sculptures, created starting in the 1960s, produced unique and haunting sounds when moved by air or touch.
He received several awards:
The Gold Medal from the Architectural League of New York and the Medal of Fine Arts from the Pennsylvania Association.
