Maria Christina Hamel was born in New Delhi in 1958, spent her childhood in India, Thailand and Austria and moved to Milan where she graduated in 1979 in Industrial Design at the Polytechnic School of Design. After working experiences with Andries van Onck, Ugo La Pietra and Ambrogio Rossari, from 1981 to 1994 she was assistant to Alessandro Mendini in his studio and at the Universität für angewandte Kunst in Vienna.
By actively participating in the Alchimia collective, she develops her own particular style strongly influenced by her multicultural and cosmopolitan background. She has always self-produced her works, particularly in glass and ceramics, in places historically dedicated to this artistic craft activity such as Deruta, Murano, Albissola and Faenza. Hamel teaches and holds numerous workshops at international institutions including the Academy of Fine Arts of Verona and Brera. Her works are part of the permanent collection of the Triennale di Milano, of the MIC International Ceramics Museum in Faenza, of the Wooden Marquetry Museum in Sorrento, of the Design Museum Gent and of the Glass Art Museum (MAA) of Alcorcon. She has been selected for the ADI Compasso d’Oro Award, the Bundes Preis für Design and the GrandesignEtico International Award.