An art collection inspired by Oman’s ancient frankincense trees and resin is on display in the Sultanate of Oman for the first time. “The Oman Collection”, created by late Italian multidisciplinary artist Gaetano Pesce, can now be seen at the National Museum in Muscat, following its international debut during Milan Design Week in 2025.
Created in 2023, the sculptural collection grew out of Pesce’s collaboration with Omani perfume house Amouage.
An architect, artist and designer, Pesce became a key figure in experimental design, with synthetic resin at the heart of his work.
The collaboration traces back to 2022, when Amouage partnered with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism on the development of Wadi Dawkah, a Unesco-listed frankincense site in Dhofar. Amouage Chief Creative Officer, Renaud Salmon, sent Pesce five kilogrammes of Omani frankincense resin, sparking the artist’s interest and setting the collaboration in motion.
A year later, Pesce visited Wadi Dawkah where he was struck by the diversity of its frankincense trees.
Commenting on the visit, the artist said: “Even deep in nature, in the middle of the desert, in a place that looks very homogeneous, you find this notion of diversity”. “The trees not only express diversity, but the two of us standing next to each other express the same idea. Different generations, different positions, different sizes and, obviously, a different take on the world as well”, he added.
The result is “The Oman Collection”, featuring three main sculptures: the Oman Chair, the Oman Chair with Frankincense and the Frankincense Throne.
Varying in size, the resin sculptures take the form of seating pieces, drawing on the twisted forms, textures and symbolism of frankincense trees, while also reflecting Pesce’s distinctive use of bold colour and experimental materials.
The “Oman Chair with Frankincense” goes a step further by incorporating actual Omani frankincense resin into the work itself, adding an olfactory dimension to the piece and creating a fitting link to the collaboration with the perfume house.
Speaking to the Observer, Johanna Ratti, Amouage’s Chief Brand Officer, explained what drew the house to the collaboration.
“[This collaboration] with Gaetano Pesce was really inspired by one of the most iconic ingredients from Oman, frankincense and that is also one of the most iconic ingredients within the perfume range of Amouage”, Ratti said.
She added: “There was a deep admiration for the work of this artist, who has a 60-year legacy”. Ratti also described the collaboration as part of a broader view of perfume, art and design as applied arts.
“I think that's the combination of what fragrance and art and design are at the end of the day: applied arts that have an impact on the everyday life of everyone”, she said.
The collaboration extended beyond the sculptures, with Pesce also contributing to the visual identity of Wadi Dawkah, where a new visitors centre is expected to open by the end of 2027.
The Oman Collection was also among the final projects of Pesce’s career before his death in 2024 at the age of 84. Over the course of his career, he became known for works including the 1969 UP5 lounge chair and the later Pratt Chair series, with his work entering major museum collections including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York and Centre Pompidou in Paris.
The collection is on display at the National Museum until the end of September.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
