Valeria Molinari
Backgammon Beauty
A project between art, craft and play by Milan artist Valeria Molinari.
Valeria's work treats play as part of being human, and looks at the relationship between player, object and space. Her boards hang on the wall as paintings until it is time to play. Every piece is conceived, painted, signed and customised by the artist in her atelier in Milan's Brera district, and made to order.
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Play is an oasis, one of our existential dimensions. It's a meeting space among friends, lovers, strangers, even for distant cultures.
Valeria Molinari, from the Backgammon Beauty manifesto
Boards as paintings
Four Elements Board: Water, Air, Fire, Earth
Painted in watercolour on wood and finished in clear resin, the board hangs on the wall like a framed artwork. To play, take it down and set it into the detachable interlocking wooden frame. It comes with resin and copper checkers, lined dice shakers, numbered precision dice, a hand-varnished counter tray, a cotton bag and a signed certificate of authenticity.
Board 48 × 45 cm · Limited edition, made to order in 4–5 weeks
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Boards as paintings, in a travel format
Four Elements Travel Set
The first hand-painted backgammon set in a travel format. The two halves of the board join with hidden magnets, and every piece fits in the checker case. It all travels in a handmade linen case with a magnetic closure, where two checkers become the buttons.
Board 27 × 28 cm open · Limited edition, made to order in 4–5 weeks
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Jewel Checker Set
Thirty checkers made of clouds of colour, cast by hand in resin so that no two are alike. The underside of each one is lined with hand-painted cotton to protect your board and soften every move. Shown in phthalo blue and burgundy, and custom colours are available on request.
Ø 35 mm · Made to order in 3–4 weeks
Paintings: We Are Hanging on a Dream
Backgammon as a metaphor for the game of life: the fate of the dice, the path along the points, and all of us suspended on fragile checkers. The series was first shown at the group exhibition Le mentir vrai in Milan in 2025. Acrylic and mixed technique on canvas, with brass elements and miniature plaster figures that you install on the painting.
Sizes S, M and L, custom sizes on request · Made to order in 3–4 weeks
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Backgammon jewelry
The pieces of the game (checkers, dice and points) become brooches, cufflinks and necklaces, and the body becomes the board. Each piece is made by hand to order and ships within 2–3 weeks.
- BGWC Crown Magnetic Brooch: every champion needs a crown, plated in 18K gold
- Checker Cufflinks: copper set in pearlescent resin
- Dice Choker: miniature dice in gold-plated brass
- Checker on Point Magnetic Brooch: a checker on a gilded wooden point
About the artist
Valeria Molinari is an architect and artist. She trained at the Academy of Architecture in Mendrisio under Pritzker Prize winners Grafton Architects and worked at Kéré Architecture in Berlin. Since 2021 she has dedicated herself to Backgammon Beauty.
Her work has been shown at Milan Design Week, Venice Design Week, Milan Fashion Week and the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. Her boards have been awarded as prizes at international backgammon tournaments, including the World Team Championship in Stockholm. Domus, AD Italia, Elle Decor and Corriere della Sera have featured her work.
Every piece is unique, made to order and signed by the artist.
Shop the full Valeria Molinari collection →
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