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Pierre Charpin
France — b. 1962
Available Works
Biography
Born in 1962 in Saint-Mandé, Pierre Charpin is a visual artist and designer. He graduated from the National School of Fine Arts in Bourges in 1984 and began his career as a visual artist. By the early 1990s, Charpin shifted his focus to designing objects and furniture, embarking on a prolific career in design. His work includes research collaborations with institutions such as CIRVA (1998–2001) and CRAFT (2003–2005), alongside partnerships with esteemed brands like Alessi, Cristallerie Saint-Louis, Design Gallery Milano, Ligne Roset, the Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres, Pamar, Post Design, Tectona, Venini, and the Wrong Shop...
Born in 1962 in Saint-Mandé, Pierre Charpin is a visual artist and designer. He graduated from the National School of Fine Arts in Bourges in 1984 and began his career as a visual artist. By the early 1990s, Charpin shifted his focus to designing objects and furniture, embarking on a prolific career in design. His work includes research collaborations with institutions such as CIRVA (1998–2001) and CRAFT (2003–2005), alongside partnerships with esteemed brands like Alessi, Cristallerie Saint-Louis, Design Gallery Milano, Ligne Roset, the Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres, Pamar, Post Design, Tectona, Venini, and the Wrong Shop.
Since 2005, Charpin has worked exclusively with Galerie kreo, creating limited-edition pieces central to his practice.The gallery has hosted several solo exhibitions of his work, including Platform (2006), All’aperto (2008), 8 1⁄2 (2009), Ignotus Nomen (2011), and Marbles & Clowns (2015) in London.
Charpin’s work has garnered significant recognition. In 2004, he won a competition organized by the Société des Eaux de Paris, designing the Eau de Paris carafe to promote the quality of the city’s tap water. Produced in an edition of 60,000, the carafe became a widely recognized household item. The following year, his Triplo vase for Venini was featured in the Compasso d’Oro design competition, and the Paris furniture fair named him “Creator of the Year.”
Beyond object design, Charpin has made notable contributions as a scenographer. He designed exhibitions such as Mobiboom at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris (2010) and the third edition of Quali Cose Siamo at Milan’s Triennale Design Museum.
His work is represented in prestigious cultural institutions, including the Fonds National d’Art Contemporain, the Centre Pompidou, and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. In 2011, Grand-Hornu Images in Belgium held a monographic exhibition titled Pierre Charpin: 20 Years of Work, celebrating two decades of his career. His designs are also featured in numerous private collections of contemporary art and design.
Since 2008, Charpin has taught in the industrial design department at ECAL (École Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne). In 2012, he participated in the Villa Kujoyama residency program in Kyoto.
Photo credits: © Pierre Antoine Courtesy Galerie kreoFilms
Pierre Charpin - "Similitude(s)" Short clip
Pierre Charpin - "Similitude(s)" Interview