François-Xavier Lalanne

French　1927 - 2008

Born in 1908 in Agen in Southwest France, François-Xavier Lalanne is a sculptor and installation artist. He studied art at the Académie Julian in Paris. He is skilled at incorporating hidden mechanism into animal forms. His sculptures of animals from the forest, grassland and lakeside are also functional furniture. Lalanne’s famous “Sheep Series” was unveiled at the 1965 Youth Art Salon, where the artist presented twenty-four fluffy copper sheep chairs titled Pour Polytheme, coming from the story of Homer’s epic Odyssey. The humorous display was a stunning act that drew smiles from the viewers. Lalanne’s pleasing and metaphorical works drew inspiration from the classical literature, break the boundaries between art and design, and create a rich user experience full of sophisticated contemporary vocabulary.