Biography
The furniture of the French architect and designer Pierre Chapo (1927-1987) is characterized by clear, geometric lines and natural surfaces. The focus of his designs is on the material - his preference was to work with elm and ash wood.
The designer, who comes from a family of artisans, was initially interested in painting and shipbuilding before he began studying architecture at the Ecole national supérieur de Beaux Arts in Paris. Numerous trips, which he undertook during his studies in the 1950s to Scandinavia, Germany, the United States and Central America, as well as the stays abroad during his military service had an impact on style. His work shows the influence of Charlotte Perriand and the Bauhaus ideals.
Together with his wife, the artist Nicole Lormier, he founded the 'Galerie Chapo' in Paris in 1958, through which he distributed his furniture in the 1960s and 1970s. The gallery also exhibited designs by other designers and artisans, thus establishing itself as one of the first design shops in France. The first furniture designs date from the late 1950s. The production first took place in Clamart near Paris. At the end of the 1960s, the Chapo family moved with their two sons to Gordes in Provence, where Pierre Chapo founded Chapo Gordes SA. His most famous designs include the table 'T21A', the sideboard 'R08' and the armchair 'S10'.
Pierre Chapo's wooden furniture usually works without metal connections. This is due to his use of well-thought-out mortise and tenon joints and the 'Chlacc' technique developed by Chapo, in which thin wooden slats are processed into a single unit. Chapo’s designs meet the highest aesthetic level without compromising on stability.
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