"Design is to listen to everything, art is to listen to no one." Paolo Coia

Paolo Coia is a professional Italian designer who carved out his path in the world of work at a very young age. He collaborated with numerous companies in various technological and manufacturing fields.

Drawing is his natural form of self-expression. He enjoys "thinking with his hands".

After several years of being an autodidact in Bari, Apulia, the sunny region of his origin, at the age of 20, he moved to Modena, where he attended the Higher Institute of Automotive Sciences. Upon completion, he gained a bachelor's degree with honors in Engineer-Stylist.

He immediately became part of the design team at MAC Design Studio in Tuscany, specifically in the motorcycle and scooter department. In the workshops, he gained experience in developing projects in the field of Industrial and manufacturing design, and in 2001, he began his freelance career.

Initially, he worked on redesigning products made of composite materials for numerous motorcycle accessory manufacturers; he developed graphic projects and advertising displays, thus acquiring skills in using software for 3D design.

In 2002, he devoted his activity to industrial exhibitions and interior items, creating not only a product but also an exhibition layout for his clients.

In 2003 and 2004, together with Italian and French designers, he participated in the design of recreational vehicles for companies such as Trigano, Camper International, Pilote, and Caravelair.

In 2005, upon the request of Uniwhite Italia, he implemented a significant number of projects in the food product design sector.

In 2006, for the German market, he invented the innovative modular trailer "Multibox." The product, initially presented at the Caravan Salon fair in Düsseldorf, and later showcased at numerous international exhibitions, received an industrial patent.

In 2007, he returned to Emilia-Romagna, where he carried out projects in the beauty industry for various institutions. Among his clients were companies like Revivre and Oxiline, as well as numerous firms for which he developed further important patents, leading to a long-term collaboration with the company Integree, headquartered in Spain. Later, he implemented projects in the field of green economy, introducing engineering solutions and "block diagram software" for sustainable hydrogen energy production, thus going far beyond the standard design project framework.

In 2009, he collaborated with Baltmotors Company (Kaliningrad) in the research laboratory "R&D," developing innovative concepts for motorcycles.

His vision of "concept" and significant modeling experience encouraged him in 2010-2011 to equip a workshop dedicated to functional models for studying ergonomic aspects. In 2013, he managed special projects realized using high-speed 3D printers.

In 2016, in Kyiv, Ukraine, he participated in a competition dedicated to redesigning and, after presenting his special "Electronic Bandura," won it. Significant contrasts in architecture, culture, city harmony, and lifestyle inspired a new wave of creativity, leading to the establishment of an operational center: Kyiv became a new creative hub.

Driven by the idea of spreading Italian culture and developing networking for professional opportunities and socialization, he created a speaking club called "Chiacchiere Italiane". As of today, the club has 1200 Ukrainians who are fluent in Italian!

In 2017, he devoted himself passionately to implementing interior design objects for private clients in the luxury sector.

In 2018, he began a close collaboration with the Ukrainian enterprise Shelf in the field of sheet metal processing.

In 2019, he expanded his vision, reuniting art and design (which has been his lifelong dream), creating futuristic sculptural forms from steel.

In 2020, near Boryspil Airport, he installed a magnificent stainless steel sculpture called "Eye of the Storm". The sculpture is seven meters high and weighs four tons.

In 2021, he started an important collaboration with the Embassy of the Italian Republic in Ukraine. He actively participated in organizing the Italian Design Day and the Italian Cuisine Week, creating and exhibiting numerous objects typical of the Italian style for these occasions.

24 February 2022, Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine. (*)

During the spring of 2022, he created artworks in Ukraine using fragments of military equipment collected from the battlefield.

In July 2022, in the premises of the Capitol Library of Verona and in the presence of the Ambassador of the Italian Republic in Ukraine, H.E. Pier Francesco Zazo, he opened an exhibition showcasing the aforementioned artistic objects.

These same objects returned to Ukraine (Lviv) for a new exhibition organized by the Italian Cultural Institute in Ukraine.

On November 25, 2022, a sculpture called "The DNA of Creativity" was installed in the Square of Knowledge at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. The Ambassador of the Italian Republic in Ukraine, H.E. Pier Francesco Zazo, who was present at the opening, donated the art object to the city of Kyiv on behalf of the Embassy of the Italian Republic in Ukraine as a "symbol of unity between two cultures and mutual respect between peoples."

In 2023, despite the ongoing war, he again organized an event on behalf of the Embassy of the Italian Republic in Ukraine, the Italian Trade Agency "ITA" and the Italian Cultural Institute in Ukraine for Italian Design Day, simultaneously creating an art object dedicated to the figure of the Ukrainian poet Lesya Ukrainka. On June 2, on behalf of the same Embassy, he organized a significant event for Italian Republic Day.

He organized and conducted art therapy sessions with children in numerous schools in Ukraine.

In December 2023, he was appointed as the art director for the realization of the "Bucha-2022 Memorial" project.

In January 2024, commissioned by the Embassy of the Italian Republic in Ukraine, he designed and implemented a conference hall for meetings of the G7, in which Italy will preside for the entire next year.

At the moment, he can "play" with enthusiasm and plan projects "on a large scale" as his multifaceted knowledge and matured experience make him a highly flexible and competent professional in problem-solving.

Professional skills: artistic drawing, technical drawing, sketching / pantone, letrajet, airbrushing. 2D CAD, 3D modeling, CAD / CAM processes, feasibility analysis, ergonomics study, engineering. Mechanical processing, thermoforming extrusion processes, thermoplastic, rotational moulding, extrusion blow molding; metal casting techniques, rapid prototyping, maquette, composite materials, robotic processes and computer flow charts.

Paolo Coia - Artist

I started drawing at four, expressing myself through drawings even as a child; back then, I had no idea that drawing could be so serious! I enjoyed observing everything from a "drone's eye view": it allowed me to find unexpected solutions, to explore myself even today, and that's my challenge!

Over the years, curiosity and life experience have led to an uncontrollable need for emotional, creative, and artistic self-expression in various fields: whether on canvas, in art objects, or places. Colors are my passion; I love breaking them down into basic geometric components and then fitting them into rhythmic lines. I create abstract compositions filled with symbolic meaning. My works are iconic figures that I like to showcase as a reflection of free emotional experience. I want to give myself as I am, not as others want to see me. In my creativity, I use my own technique of color dispersion in a multilayered way. The overlaps between color levels are transparent, expressing the values of authenticity as a unique perspective from the inside out, like a tent, bathed in light, or a window, always open to the Universe. Using straight or wavy lines, I depict strong, metallic contrasts similar to those found in a factory. I find inspiration in brilliant figures like Leonardo Da Vinci or in the clear, black or white lines, emotions from contemplating Lucio Fontana's "spatial" cuts that translate into tremors in the body. I am always contradictory: at night, I see biomechanical compositions in my dreams, and during the day, I stroll for a long time, meet friends, and drink coffee to calm my soul! My palette is rich in colors, lines, and angles created by them, allowing viewers to see specific objects in unconventional planes and with unexpected geometry.

I am a materialist and I adore volume; I create three-dimensionality by interweaving shadows that attract the viewer's eye, taking it to a new level of perception, a level of augmented reality. I take earth, sand, or something characteristic of the place where I draw and mix it with color. Inside me is the sea and a passion for mechanics. I love to "think with my hands" and breathe the soul into material things. My creative process, even if contradictory, should always be visible. I stand out from the crowd; there's always a smile on my face: I choose irony as a form of thinking and a way of life. I confess that even now I play with a Newton's disc to see the dissolution of colors: it's the same thing I did in childhood, but now I watch the process with the eyes of a contemporary artist! I observe the future from the past; I feel like a street artist of the Renaissance era, and I like the combination of art and design because the creative process has an infinite number of variables, and its instruments are inexhaustible. And in this lies the beauty!

© Design Center Italia 2026

24 Feb 2022

24 February 2022, Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine. (*)

HUMANITARIAN COMMITMENT

Ukraine – From 24 February 2022 to the Present

On 24 February 2022, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. For Paolo Coia, who has been living in Kyiv since 2015 and has developed deep personal and professional ties with the country, this was not a distant geopolitical event, but an attack on the people, communities and land he had come to know and love.

Faced with the brutality of these events, he chose to dedicate his time, skills and personal connections to the humanitarian emergency, taking a clear stand against the war and providing practical support to the civilian population.

What initially began as an immediate response to the emergency gradually evolved into an ongoing commitment involving evacuations, medical assistance, the distribution of essential supplies, fundraising, support for hospitals, Art Therapy initiatives and solidarity projects through art and culture.

His work has involved volunteers, non-governmental organisations, healthcare facilities, cultural institutions and an international network of supporters, particularly in Italy and Ukraine.

2022 – Humanitarian Emergency, Evacuations and Assistance

March 2022 – Emergency Response

In March 2022, Paolo left Kyiv and, after an extremely difficult journey, reached Medyka, on the Polish-Ukrainian border.

From there, he began travelling daily between the border, Przemyśl and Lviv, establishing an emergency assistance point in a rural house temporarily equipped to welcome and support Ukrainian refugees and Ukrainian-Italian families in transit.

Activities included:

Establishing an emergency assistance and reception centre for refugees.
Daily distribution of food, essential goods and basic supplies.
Organising humanitarian aid deliveries to the assistance centre in Przemyśl.
Collaborating with local organisations, NGOs and other volunteers.

Medical Supplies and Healthcare Assistance

With the support of friends and donors in Italy, he organised the dispatch of numerous vans carrying medical supplies and humanitarian goods to the areas most severely affected by the war.

During the first weeks of the invasion, when obtaining medicines in Kyiv had become extremely difficult, he personally worked to source and distribute essential medication.

Medical supplies included:

Significant quantities of insulin.
Hyaluronic acid.
Essential medicines for elderly people.
Medical supplies and equipment also intended for military personnel.
Other medical products and devices required by healthcare facilities and the civilian population.

Evacuations and Refugee Transfers

Through his network of local contacts, he coordinated the identification and evacuation of people in particularly vulnerable situations from the Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy and Kherson regions.

Activities included:

Identifying and locating people in need of evacuation.
Coordinating transfers from conflict-affected areas.
Organising several bus journeys from Kraków to Italy.
Collaborating with the non-governmental organisation Hopeful Giving to organise weekly refugee transfers.
Assisting with the identification of safe accommodation and employment opportunities to support integration and help people rebuild their lives away from the war.

Between March and April 2022, he contributed to organising and facilitating the transfer of approximately 900 people to Italy.

April – Summer 2022: Continued Support and Healthcare Assistance

After returning to Kyiv in April 2022, following the first phase of the emergency, he continued his commitment to supporting the civilian population.

He focused particularly on fundraising for the purchase of two ambulances:

One for the orthopaedic department of a hospital in Kyiv.
One for a polyclinic in Kharkiv.

During the summer, he collaborated with the Quasar group in Lviv to collect and distribute humanitarian aid to internally displaced people and families facing particularly difficult circumstances.

At the same time, he turned his art exhibitions into opportunities to raise public awareness and support humanitarian initiatives through fundraising and solidarity activities.

Winter 2022–2023 – Healthcare, Energy and Psychological Support

During the winter of 2022–2023, he helped organise and facilitate the delivery of 15 generators, emergency equipment and additional ambulances to Ukraine, responding to the growing healthcare and energy needs exacerbated by the war.

These efforts aimed to support healthcare facilities and communities affected by power outages and difficulties in accessing essential services.

During the same period, he promoted and supported psychological assistance initiatives through Art Therapy programmes for:

Children.
Students.
Orphaned children.

The activities took place in the regions of Zhytomyr, Kyiv and Chernihiv.

The aim was to provide not only material assistance, but also spaces for listening, self-expression and emotional support for those directly experiencing the consequences of the conflict.

2024–2025 – Continued Commitment, Rehabilitation and Support for Children

Throughout 2024–2025, Paolo continued his humanitarian commitment, helping deliver two additional ambulances to children's hospitals in the Chernihiv region.

The vehicles were equipped with incubators for the transportation and care of premature babies, addressing particularly critical needs within the paediatric healthcare system.

Other activities included:

Supporting Art Therapy programmes for the children of war veterans.
Supporting initiatives dedicated to the rehabilitation of people wounded during the conflict.
Raising awareness of the needs of people with disabilities and those wounded in the war.
Developing artistic and cultural collaborations aimed at fundraising and promoting solidarity.
Supporting families and communities most severely affected by the war.

MCOP – Rehabilitation and Human Dignity

His involvement in initiatives supporting veterans in Kyiv also developed through his relationship with the MCOP centre, which specialises in prosthetics and rehabilitation.

Through collaborations, artistic initiatives and awareness-raising activities, Paolo contributed to drawing public attention to the needs of wounded veterans and people undergoing recovery following severe injuries.

His artworks and exhibitions presented in Ukraine and abroad have also become tools for supporting solidarity initiatives and raising public awareness of these issues.

Art Therapy – Art as a Means of Support

The artistic dimension has assumed an increasingly important role in activities involving children and families affected by the war.

Through initiatives such as "Maccheroni Art Therapy", Paolo promoted creative workshops for children, including the children of war veterans.

These activities were conceived as opportunities for expression, sharing and emotional support, recognising creativity as a tool capable of fostering psychological well-being and resilience.

January–February 2026 – #WarmthForUkraine

In January 2026, together with other volunteers, Paolo became one of the promoters of the international fundraising campaign #WarmthForUkraine, launched with the aim of purchasing and distributing industrial generators to hospitals, polyclinics and other facilities in Ukrainian areas most severely affected by power outages.

In just 10 days, the campaign raised a total of: €350,000

This achievement was made possible through the collective mobilisation of an international network of supporters, donors and volunteers.

In February 2026, deliveries of the generators began, with the aim of ensuring the continuity of essential services and healthcare provision even during prolonged power outages.

As part of the initiative, the following equipment was purchased and distributed:

4 industrial generators, each with a capacity of at least 200 kW.
78 portable power stations, with capacities ranging from 1 kW to 2.6 kW.

The equipment was allocated to healthcare facilities and hospitals in Kyiv, including:

Hospital No. 3.
Hospital No. 5.
Psychiatric Hospital.
St. Michael's Hospital.
Perinatal Centre.

The campaign helped support the continued operation of healthcare facilities, ensuring power for medical equipment and essential services.

This achievement was the result of a collective mobilisation to which Paolo Coia contributed by promoting the initiative, engaging his international network and supporting fundraising efforts.

Art Against Propaganda – Bucha and Venice

Paolo's commitment has also developed through art, which he uses as a tool for testimony and awareness-raising.

He created an artwork using fragments of war material recovered from Bucha, transforming elements associated with destruction into an artistic testimony against propaganda and in support of collective memory.

The artwork was presented in Venice during the 2022 Biennale Arte, in front of the Russian Pavilion, as part of the "Reliquiae" project.

Through this work, the artist sought to transform the physical remnants of war into a message of memory, responsibility and awareness, using artistic expression to challenge the manipulation of reality and give visibility to the human consequences of the conflict.

Recognition and Documentation

Over the years, his commitment has received expressions of appreciation from representatives of Ukrainian institutions.

In particular, he has received two letters of appreciation from representatives of the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian Parliament, recognising his contribution to solidarity with the population, children, families and people affected by the war, as well as his efforts to strengthen the friendship between Italy and Ukraine.

His activities have also been documented by the Ukrainian Institute and Ukraїner, organisations committed to promoting and documenting Ukrainian culture and identity.

An Ongoing Commitment

More than four years after the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, Paolo Coia continues to live and work in Kyiv, maintaining his commitment to Ukraine and its people.

What began as an urgent response to the emergency has evolved into an ongoing commitment founded on responsibility, solidarity and international cooperation.

Through the mobilisation of humanitarian aid, the development of partnerships, support for humanitarian projects and the use of art as a means of raising awareness, he continues to contribute to initiatives supporting the most vulnerable.

His commitment is rooted in a personal conviction:

Solidarity must go beyond words and become action.