Noted designer/artist/architect Johanna Grawunder (b. 1961) graduated in Architecture in 1983 from the State Polytechnic of California at San Luis Obispo after attending her final year of studies at their campus in Florence, Italy. With offices in both Milan, Italy and San Francisco, CA, she now lives and works between both countries.

Grawunder began her illustrious career in 1985, working with the late design legend Ettore Sottsass, subsequently becoming a partner in Sottsass Associati, with whom she collaborated for many years before opening her own practice in 2001. In addition to her work in architecture, she is perhaps most acclaimed for her visionary work in both lighting and furniture design, having created collections which embody both limited-edition and one-off studio pieces as well as industrial collaborations with such noted Italian firms as Flos, Boffi, and Salviatti. Her work has been consistently shown over the years by a large number of important galleries in Europe and the United States, such Gallery Mourmans, Belgium, and the Design Gallery Milano.

Ms. Grawunder lectures extensively, and is frequently invited to address conferences throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States.