/en/artist-detail/240055/francois-xavier-lalanne
/en/artist-detail/240055/francois-xavier-lalanne
Francois-Xavier Lalanne
François Xavier and Claude Lalanne were undoubtedly among the most inventive designers of the 20th century. They rubbed shoulders with some of the leading figures of Parisian artistic life, such as René Magritte and Yves Saint Laurent, who collaborated with François Xavier on the interior design of the Dior boutique on Avenue Montaigne in the mid-20th century.
The couple reinvented interior design and furniture, drawing on highly eclectic inspirations ranging from antiquity to surrealism, notably in certain cutlery designs by Claude Lalanne that recall some of Maret Oppenheim’s creations. They are particularly renowned for their incredible bestiary, in which they rework the same subject on a small scale as well as in monumental settings. The most iconic examples remain the sheep and the rhinoceros.
They also demonstrate a constant concern for craftsmanship and materials. One thinks, for instance, of the series of lamps shaped like wading birds or pigeons, where they combine copper and opaline glass. Some of their creations have led to partnerships with major French houses, such as Daum.
Their works feature in all the world’s leading modern art collections.