I was first introduced to the sculptural, chic furniture in metal and wood by French designer/architect François Thévenin (1901-2016), at Primavera Gallery, and was immediately intrigued by the French flavor of his language, by the superb craftsmanship, and by the signature style that attains his pieces with lightness, airiness, and expressiveness. Active in the French Riviera and South of France, he began a unique career in the 60s, creating couture, jeweled pieces of furniture for special commissions. Partnering with so-called ‘architect of billionaires,’ Jacques Couëlle on stylish homes, together they formulated their ‘home-landscape’ houses, where they sought to harmonize the habitat with its natural environment. It was the furniture that Thévenin created, formed after nature, that enhanced Couëlle’s architecture’s relationship to nature, giving these homes their special identity, always handcrafted, always labor intensive, but so rare to come by. Now I have learnt that at the upcoming Pavilion Art and Design (PAD) Paris, Galerie Chastel-Maréchal will present an ensemble that Thévenin created for the villa Le Clos du Paradis in Cannes, another collaboration with Couëlle. All images, @Galerie Chastel-Maréchal
