François-Xavier Lalanne

b. Agen, France, 28 August 1927, d. Ury, France, 7 December 2008

François-Xavier’s work features a menagerie of whimsical animal sculptures in the spirit of other 20th-century artists like Pompon and Brancusi (Brancusi’s and Lalanne’s Montparnasse studios were in fact next door to each other). François-Xavier Lalanne is best known for his sculptures which double as furniture, such as the Rhinocrétaire (rhinoceros desk); the Moutons de laine (sheep chairs); and the Gorille de sûreté (gorilla safe). He believed that sculpture, and art in general, could be functional. His distinctive style is characterized by his synthetic approach which combines pared down shapes and rigourous lines.

After an initial exhibition at Galerie J in Paris in 1964, Les Lalanne's sculptures were displayed at Alexandre Iolas' galleries in Paris, New York, Milan, Geneva, and Athens from 1965 to 1979. Their affiliation with the Galerie Mitterrand began in the early 1990s. A retrospective on their career was held in 2010 at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and at the Petit Trianon in the Château de Versailles in 2021.