Cesare "Joe" Colombo’s educational career in painting began in 1949 at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan, and studied afterwards until 1954 Architecture at Politecnico di Milano University. In 1951, he joined the Movimento Nucleare, founded by Sergio D´Angelo and Enrico Baj as both an active painter and sculptor within abstract Expressionism. After joining the Art Concept Group in 1955, Colombo gave up painting to promote his design career. In 1959, Colombo had to take over the family company, which produced electric appliances, and started to experiment with new construction and production technologies.