Thayaht

Ernesto Michahelles, also known as Thayaht, was born in Florence on August 21, 1893 and spent his childhood and youth in the villa of his great grandfather at the Poggio Imperiale ,the renowned American neoclassical sculptor Hiram Powers.

In this period he cooperates with the Florentine Art Gallery Cavalensi and Botti and attends the gallery-bookshop of Errante Gonnelli, the core of the cultural and artistic avant-garde in Florence.

The following year he reconfirms his collaboration with The Atelier of Madame Vionnet, the couturière credited with introducing the bias-cut to Parisian fashion who offers the artist a contract as designer to assure the exclusive use of his creations.

He starts out by designing the logo for the Maison Vionnet, and quickly becomes responsible for the graphic presentation of her new models, many published in the magazine “Gazzette du Bon Ton”.

In 1927 he participates to the “III Esposizione Internazionale delle Arti Decorative e Industriali Moderne” of Monza and, the following year he is chosen by the “National Fascist Group of Straw”, as designer for new models of hats for men and women.

The following year he participates to the “IV Esposizione Triennale Internazionale delle Arti Decorative ed Industriali Moderne” in Monza, exposing furniture and items made of taiattite, an alloy of silver and aluminium invented by himself.

On April 10 , of this year he replies on the newspaper of Genova “Indice” to an article of Ezra Pound about futurist sculpture, where the artist claims that there is a chance to represent an object in a plane in three dimensions thanks to a new technique, described as “Traiettiva”.

Since the 40’s he quit his public activity in Florence to definitely retire in his villa of Marina di Pietrasanta (Lucca) , portraying Tahitian figures re-evaluating the research of Paul Gauguin and his role as a colorist and a symbolic painter, in search of a simpler life at the origins of the world.

Between 1956 and 1959 he continues his studies in science and astronomy growing an interest for ufology and founds the C.I.R.N.O.S He died in Marina di Pietrasanta (LU) on April 29, 1959 and he is buried at “Cimitero degli Allori” in Florence.