Pierre Charpin named Designer of the Year by Maison et Objet
A designer of tremendous stature, Pierre Charpin is in his natural element, keeping up with growing worldwide demand for his creative output
Maison et Objet describes Pierre Charpin as “an explorer at heart” – but the French designer, who graduated from Bourges Art School in 1984, is so much more than that. A “designer’s designer” in the truest sense of the expression, Charpin is unfazed by the world and committed to practising his craft. Oh, and he is a lover of bright colours – used just to the right degree, of course.
Charpin has collaborated with some of the greats of the design world: Alessi, Hermès, Ligne Roset and Hay. He also created Vases Triplo, which was selected for a Golden Compass – awards which are given for creations made in Italy. The awards, established in Lombardy in 1954 by the designer du jour Gio Ponti and since 1964 entrusted to the Associazione per il Disegno Industriale (ADI), are considered among the most prestigious in the world.
Then there are the tumblers, vases and a jug,“Intervalle”, he designed for Saint-Louis (the oldest crystal manufactory in France) in 2011. Don’t forget that some of his creations can be seen in the collections of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris.
With the Maison et Objet’s announcement that he is their Designer of the Year, Charpin’s creativity is likely to be in greater demand than ever before.
“I am inspired by all things and people that stimulate my curiosity and my spirit, not [by anything or anyone] in particular,” Charpin says. “I also think that it is important that my inspiration evolves and changes with time.”
Charpin traces much of his inventiveness and creativity back to his upbringing on the outskirts of Paris within an artistic family.