• Allemeersch

    etienne allemeersch

    ETIENNE ALLEMEERSCH (1926-2002)

    WORK

  • Bankowsky
    marc bankowsky

    MARC BANKOWSKY 

    BIOGRAPHY

    When violence renewed the beds of men on earth,
    A very old tree, with dry leaves, resumed the thread of his maxims ...
    And another senior tree rose from the already large underground Indies
    With its magnetic leaf and its load of new fruits.
    Saint-John Perse

    After studying at the National School of Decorative Arts and the National School of Fine Arts in Paris, Marc Bankowsky first practiced painting. His meeting with the painter José Fabri-Canti lead to found in Corsica Cyrne Arte, a phalanstery bringing together visual artists, actors and musicians. Sculpture, ceramic, mosaic, brassware and ironware workshops, settled in the village of Balagne. He learnt the fresco and mosaic and kept its course while participating in the organization of the first Corsican music festival.


    In the 70’s, Marc returned to Paris after a visit to Switzerland, where he discoverd and learnt weaving. Huge hanging cocoons, the "Platforms", borned of his imagination, met a huge success, especially in the biennial of tapestry in Lausanne. Museums and Culture Houses exposed his work. For its opening, the Centre Georges Pompidou commissioned a monumental work installed at the entrance. His taste for modeling lead him in the 80’s to work bronze, which he vows since, reviving its mythological roots. Peter Marino then asked him to make stools and goldsmith objects for Christian Dior.


    The forces of nature, through the vegetable, mineral and animal kingdoms, become furniture and bronze, plaster and resin objects, seducting renowned designers as well as private clients in USA, Europe and Asia.

    WORK

  • Bellotto
  • Buffa

    PAOLO BUFFA

    WORK

  • Cavell

    marc cavell

    MARC CAVELL (1911-1989)

    BIOGRAPHY

    Marc Cavell, Michael Canter being his real name, was born in London. He studied painting at the Academy of the School of Arts and Crafts and exhibited for the first time in 1936 at the Whitechapel Art Gallery. He came to Paris in the late 30's to complete his artistic training, enrolling at the Academy Julian and the Academy Ranson. His early works are characterized by a figuration to Cézanne orientations. He then explored the post-cubist formulas under the direction of Albert Gleizes. With Picasso, he was introduced to textiles and ceramics. This curious and eclectic artist then explored the infinite possibilities of optical art, kinetics. In Painting and its Laws, published in 1924, Albert Gleizes wrote "painting is animating a flat surface; animating a flat surface is giving rhythm to a space. " Questions about movement and matter are already there. Between 1955 and 1966, he undertook an experience focused on light and movement. The driving force, light, is the real raw material of Cavell's work. By the play of reflection of light on metal surfaces or through translucent materials, Marc Cavell operates the changing effects of light to give life to works of infinite aesthetic and emotional possibilities. Large or small sizes, Cavell's works deploy a play of shadows and light, sometimes colorful, vibrating, intersecting and intertwining on the surface of the table, thanks to the passage of light. These "light sculptures" are open compositions that induce the viewer to contemplation and even some fascination.

    WORK

  • Després

    JEAN DESPRÉS (1889-1980) 

    BIOGRAPHY

    Born in 1889 in Souvigny, Burgundy, from glass blower parents, Jean Després starts his apprenticeship with a Parisian goldsmith, friend of the family, in 1905.

    First an industrial drawer for the military aviation during World War I, he took over his parents’ shop in 1920 and launched his goldsmith and jeweler workshop. He revealed himself to be an innovative creator with a unique way to work metals, and with new drawn shapes never seen before. He participated to his first show in 1926 at the Salon des Indépendants. Many shows and exhibitions then followed, such as the Salon d’Automne, the Salon of Decorative artists, and the Tuileries Salon.

    Jean Després chooses massive shapes rather than the classical goldsmith ornaments and avoids the use of precious gemstones in his jewel collection. His jewel production is defined by necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings where metals are combined with ivory, lacquer, ebony, onyx and sharkskin.

    His goldsmith pieces are inspired by the aviation aesthetic, crafted using hammered metals, and ample, generous and modern shapes. In the 1940’s, Jean Després is nominated President of the Goldsmith Syndicate, after receiving the Legion d’Honneur, in 1938. The artist’s works will be collected in France and worldwide, even after his death in 1980.

    ARTWORK

  • Fantoni

    marcello fantoni

    MARCELLO FANTONI (1915-2011)

    BIOGRAPHY

    Born in Florence in 1915, Marcello Fantoni starts his artistic career in 1927 when he subscribes to the Art Institute of Porta Romana. He begins to follow the ceramic class of Carlo Guerrini, the artistic director of Cantagalli’s famous manufacture. 

     After his graduation in 1934, he starts to work as the artistic director of a studio in Perugia, before settling in Florence and creating his own ceramic workshop. His production of edition and unique pieces meets a great success from 1937 with the Arts and Crafts exhibition that made him well-known throughout all the country and beyond. 

    After the war years, spent in the Resistance, he comes back to his artistic activity with fever, developing his workshop’s production and increasing his collaborations. His success grows in the 1960’s and 1970’s: his unique sculptures adopt both a very contemporary aesthetic and historical references, such as the Etruscan ceramics, to which he gives a new approach of the material, colors and enamel. 

    In 1970, Fantoni founds the International School of Ceramic Art in Florence. It is there that he will pursue his work, production, and will teach, until his death in 2011.

    Today, his pieces are part of the most important museum collections, such as The Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Tokyo’s Museum of Modern Art.

    ARTWORK

  • Finzi

    ARRIGO FINZI (1890-1973)

    WORK

  • Fontana Arte

    FONTANA ARTE

    WORK

  • Fornasetti

    PIERO FORNASETTI (1913-1988)

    BIOGRAPHY

    Graduated from the Academy of Brera, this multicard artist, painter, sculptor, writer, stylist, designer inspired by ancients but also by Chiric, works from the 30's with Gio Ponti, until the 60's. He released a surreal furniture that gives Fornasetti a place quite apart in the Italian design of the 20th century.

    WORK

  • Goossens

    robert goossens

    ROBERT GOOSSENS (1927-2016)

    BIOGRAPHY

    Robert Goossens was born in 1927 in Paris of a bronze smelter father and a mother working in a theater. In 1942 he began his apprenticeship as a goldsmith at the workshop Bauer, creating pieces for Cartier. His initiation continues in the workshop Lefevre, again for Cartier. In 1949, he performs very varied orders requiring mastery of various techniques, such as inlaid ivory, tortoiseshell and mother of pearl, woodworking and leather, sculpture, painting or enamelling. At this time, Max Boinet, a friend of fashion designers, leads Goossens in the world of high fantasy jewelry: Dior, Balmain, Balenciaga, Schiaparelli. But Robert Goossens remains fascinated by ancient jewelry. In 1953, Mr Degorce seeks Robert Goossens to assist him. The 75 years old master craftsman realizes jewelry accented with pearls, rhinestones, ruby ​​and sapphire for Mrs Gabrielle Chanel. Nothing to do with his real goldsmith profession but Goossens learns. He thus begins indirectly at Chanel and gives free rein to his creativity. He develops Visigoth or Etruscan inspired jewelry. For Hermès, he created the hedgehog, the horseshoe and the caliper in gold and silver. His dream takes shape: evolves alongside the big names.

     

     Chanel

    Following the disappearance of Mr. Degorce in 1957, Coco Chanel’s assistant, Mrs Michelle, summoned him. Coco crosses the corridor. Robert Goossens arises. She looks at him and says, "I trust the real professionals." This brief interview marks the beginning of an exciting collaboration until the disappearance of Gabrielle Chanel. One day Robert presented a jewelry collection inspired by Ancients. "They are beautiful," she said, "and if we are asked, we will say they come from the excavations of the rue Cambon!" Mademoiselle wants more! Always jewelry, but also objects, mirrors, chandeliers, furniture where pyrites, rock crystal and corals fit together. All those symbols, like the wheat heads prosperity and happiness in the house, are precious to Coco Chanel. At the end of the fifties, Goossens develops his decorative arts production,which he calls “space jewels”. Robert chisels and gilds a consequent harvest, signing either “Robert Goossens” or “Robert from the Marais”, referring to the district of Paris he likes. His first “space jewelries”, real interior ornaments, are the Wheat sheaf table and the Waterlily pedestal. He declines his favorite patterns like coral, seashells, hearts, chains and the foliage on the bronze he gilds and often adorns with rock crystal. "As for jewelry and decorative items, I think I am today the only witness to the creative spirit of Mrs Chanel, professionally speaking." Between 1954 and 1971, he invented an amazing vocabulary of forms that marked the decorative arts.

    Yves Saint Laurent

    "Mr. Jewel" started in 1974 at Maison Saint-Laurent in collaboration with Loulou de la Falaise suggesting him new inspiration tracks. Robert documents and imagines a line of jewelry as Africanists bamboo models while continuing to decline the themes of hearts and crosses on his favorite “space jewels”: chandeliers, tables and mirrors. Goossens and Saint-Laurent became friends, and the fashion designer asked him to create very limited editions of “space jewels” to gift to his relatives, as the photo frames made with gilded bronze and rock crystal en 1980. The collaboration is very successful until 2000.

    In 2005, Robert Goossens sells his company to Chanel and agrees for the time of "active" retirement, as he likes to say so. He sponsors the creative workshop "The Paruriers". Robert continued to dream about new projects: creating a training workshop for youth to make them benefit from his extraordinary experience. Although he likes to add, maliciously, "I have learned my craft in the street."




    WORK

  • Goossens Paris
  • Kam Tin

    kam tin philippe rapin

    KAM TIN

    BIOGRAPHY

    Turquoise, pyrite, amber, agates… Nothing is too rare to adorn the creations of the brand of the "meubles bijoux". Created in the 70s in Hong Kong, Kam Tin published very few pieces before stopping its production. It took a turquoise chest to cross paths with Philippe Rapin for the magic to work again. The Quai Voltaire's art dealer developed a passion for his treasures while traveling in Hong Kong and decided to buy the brand. His expertise in decorative art, his taste for the eclectic and contemporary style gave rise to new collections. The first pieces, turquoise or amber cabinets, met great interest among collectors. In October 2012, a turquoise floating cabinet is sold more than 200 000 US dollars at Christie's.
    New creations will follow: brass and copper cloud tables, small side tables bronze decorated with turquoise inlay or tiger eye, pyrite enfilades , turquoise bedside or masterful brass chandelier. Those exceptional single or limited edition, are made by artisans/goldsmiths in Philippe Rapin's workshop in Germany.

    Today, Kam Tin is illustrated in international fairs (Paris, London, Hong Kong, Beijing) and major auction houses (Christie's London and NY, HK Sotheby's, Bonhams London Arcurial and Piasa in Paris).

    WORK

  • Labar

    labar

    RYAN LABAR

    BIOGRAPHY

    Raised in Montana, USA, Ryan LaBar studied Biology and Art before working for numerous institutions as a resident artist, such as the Archie Bray Foundation, LH Projects, and California State University.

    His projects then started to travel beyond the American frontiers, to China, Korea, or even Poland.

    In 2014, Ryan left his hometown for Jingdezhen in China, where he established the Lab Arts, his personal studio and innovation center.

    Settled in the historical city of imperial Chinese porcelain, the artist works with clay to create abstract sculptures and volumes where curves intertwine. Ryan LaBar uses the ancient craftsmanship to create important wall installations and sculptures, where movements and tensions punctuate the whole. The artist sees these shapes as complex systems, dense and balanced at the same time.

    For LaBar, his creative process is the very foundation of his concept: the shapes he creates regroup individual elements, that in turn communicate, intertwine, and clash the general shape made by these elements brought together.

    Nowadays, Ryan Labar appears as a prolific artist, whose creations are found in both private and public collections. Each day, his meticulous production grows, in the heart of the historical hometown of Chinese clay production of the last two centuries. 

    WORK

  • Mazzucotelli

    ALESSANDRO MAZZUCOTELLI (1865-1938)

    ARTWORK

  • Morley-Price
  • Paul

    Anne-Marie Paul

    ANNE-MARIE PAUL (1949-2005)

    BIOGRAPHY

    1949              Birth in Nice.

    1965              At 16, Anne Marie Paul decides to leave school to devote herself exclusively to drawing and painting.

    1967              Meeting with Alexandre CALDER and Jo DAVIDSON.

    1968              In Saint-Paul-de-Vence, meeting with Joan MIRÓ and Aimé MAEGHT who buys several gouaches.
                         Work in MIRÓ’s workshop.

    1969              Join the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
                         Meet Georges MATHIEU who becomes a close friend.
                         Stay at Saché at Alexandre CALDER. he gives her a workshop to work and gives advice.
                         First sculptures made of terracotta.
                         Meeting with CÉSAR with whom she works and participates in the development of certain works.

    1970-1973     Sharing the studio of Louis CHAVIGNIER then that of Étienne MARTIN.
                         Participates in the Young Sculpture Salon, at the Salon des Independents and at the Salon de Mai where she meets Claude VISIEUX. He designates her to leave for Villa Medici.

    1974-1976     Resident at the Villa Medici of Rome under the direction of BALTHUS, she befriends FELLINI, Sergio LEONE.             
                         Participates in the casts of the Niobides for the creation of the Balthus Fountain at Villa Medici.

    1977              Return to Touraine to work and moved to the property of CALDER following his death.

    1981              First trip to the USA.

    1984              Exhibition of his sculptures in New York and Los Angeles as part of Art Expo.

    1985              Exhibition in New York.

    1986              Exhibition in Los Angeles.

    1988              Appointed at the University of Paris VIII as a teacher and artist where she obtained her own studio.

    1989-2003     Exhibitions in the USA and Europe.

    2005              Death of Anne-Marie Paul in Paris.

    WORK

  • Ponti

    gio ponti

    GIO PONTI (1891-1979)

    BIOGRAPHY

    "The funzioni del Mobile sono tanto esse letra quella di piacere. " ("The functions of furniture are innumerable and among them, appealling.") Born in Milan in 1891, Gio Ponti attended the Polytechnic School where he graduated in 1921. He launched the magazine Domus in 1928 devoted to architecture and published today. He quickly became the director of the Biennale of Milan. He offered numerous architectural projects throughout Italy. In parallel, he created many design pieces, alone or in collaboration, one of the richest being the one with Fornasetti. Died in 1979, Gio Ponti is considered as the icon of the Italian architecture and design of the twentieth century.

    WORK

  • Quadens
    pol quadens

    POL QUADENS

    BIOGRAPHY

    1960   Pol Quadens was born in Brussels. His father was active in the fields of composites and metal industry, and Pol is therefore surrounded by the world of materials since his early childhood. After his artistic studies, he starts restoring vintage cars. This experience makes him gain strong practical skills and deep knowledge of all types of materials.

    1987    First creations and production of objects. His sensitivity and passion for the arts lead him to the creation of functional artworks. His CD shelf has sold more than 100,000 pieces and has become iconic in its category.

    1995    Pol meets with an engineer of the Donnay workshops who makes him discover carbon fiber. He produces the C 06 piece, one of the lightest chairs in the world – 950 grams – that proves commercially very successful.

    2000    Release of the 4 inches high Strada women shoes, entirely handmade in carbon fiber. These singular shoes feature a revolutionary detail: they are high but they have no heels. Madonna loves the concept and wears the shoes during one of her concerts.

    2007    Pol Quadens enriches his creations by working with new materials and begins to include Corian®. He designs a whole range of furniture pieces for Brussels-based OVO Editions.

    2013    Pol Quadens is back to his roots and starts producing high end unique pieces and limited editions in stainless steel.

    2014    Publication of his first monograph by Parisian publisher Somogy and distributed by Flammarion.

    2017    He signs his iconic « Infinity » bookshelf, an entirely handmade stainless steel piece which has required more than 400 hours of work.

    2018    In addition to his designer activities, Pol Quadens shifts also towards art and monumental sculpture and starts developing his work to sculptures. His latest creation is « 16 Stones », a 4.5m high work inspired by the primitive « Cairn », which consists in marking a site or a common area by piling up stones. « 16 Stones » is the first creation of its kind and Pol is now developing the concept for international private collections -interiors and sculpture parks-.

    2019    Maison Rapin starts to work with Pol on the Brafa art fair Brussels in January.

    He starts a collaboration with a top agent for the sculpture works in New York

    WORK

  • Rida

    roberto giulio rida

    ROBERTO GIULIO RIDA

    BIOGRAPHY


    Roberto Giulio Rida was born in 1943 in Milan. Facing a solitary youth due to the many moves of his family, the taciturn child draw and collect small sculpted objects. His aunt, an educated woman and artist, encouraged him to visit museums, churches and historical sites. Later, he attended the Brera Academy where he was a brilliant student. But the necessities of life forced him to take odd jobs to survive until his military service. On his return, he began trading art objects. He moved to Venice as an antique dealer and frequents Murano masters who teached him for eight years the craft of glass. In 1973, he returned to Milan, where he specialized in the Arts of the twentieth century. In parallel, he has created lightings and furniture covered with cut glass and crystal. Today Roberto Giulio Rida is an accomplished and atypical artist. Regardless of the artistics movements, he invites the visitor in a strange world where science fiction collide with the Italian Renaissance and the intensity of a mineral light.

    WORK

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