Description

Original chairs model 'S24', by Pierre Chapo, France, 1970s. In extinct French Elm, and cognac leather seating. Pierre Chapo was first interested in painting, his encounter with a shipbuilding carpenter in 1947, introduced him to wood and woodworking, and led to architectural studies at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. After traveling through Scandinavia, Central America and working for a year in the United States, he returned to Paris and pursued his interest in wood, crafting furniture mainly out of solid oak, elm, ash or teak with a double concern for contemporary design and traditional know-how. He opened a gallery on boulevard de l'Hôpital in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, where along his own creations, he displayed the work of other craftsmen or artists such as Isamu Noguchi with whom he shared a sculptural and organic approach to design. Special custom orders started coming in, Samuel Beckett was among his first clients; for him, he created the ‘’Godot bed’’ in his Clamart workshop. In 1960 he received the gold medal from the city of Paris. Influenced by the work of Charlotte Perriand for the Alpine ski resort of Les Arcs, his participation in the 1967 Société des artistes décorateurs' show brought him a bronze medal.