Hubert Le Gall designs cheerful furniture. Looking at one of his meticulously crafted pieces evokes a feeling of well-being, and almost invariably, a smile. His creations are the work of someone who enjoys what he’s doing, and meeting the artist in person bears this out. Showing visitors around his first solo US exhibition, at the Twenty First Gallery in New York City, Le Gall fondly recalls the experience of developing the concept behind each piece, citing inspirations that range from animals and nature to classical literature and famous painters. His work straddles the barrier between art and design, although he insists that design—that is, function—always takes priority. “If it functions,” Le Gall asks, “is it less art?”
French Twist
March 12, 2019
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FEATURED & RELATED ARTWORKS
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FEATURED ARTIST
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Hubert Le Gall
Born in 1961 in Lyon, France, Hubert Le Gall is self taught in sculpture and design and has reigned for more than two decades as a celebrated figure on the international design scene. He works with a small team at his studio in Montmartre, Paris, which once served as the atelier of French Post-Impressionist Pierre Bonnard, and also collaborates with French artisans bearing generations of technical expertise to bring his sculptural design works to life. Known for his witty approach to functional pieces and design objects, Le Gall is inspired by archetypal imagery from art history such as Andy Warhol’s daisies, Roy Lichtenstein’s sunsets, and Jean-Pierre Raynaud’s pots, creating unique pieces and small editions built from classic materials such as bronze, brass, exotic woods, and velvet. Making lavish use of fine furniture craft techniques including marquetry, gold leaf, and Lesage embroidery, Le Gall pushes the limits of his craft with what he calls “in between objects” that stand halfway between sculpture and decor, questioning the imperative to functionality. Plants and animals are recurring themes within Le Gall’s oeuvre of furniture, lighting, and decorative objects: anthropomorphic shapes which suggest allegories of desire, innocence, and our animal nature, demonstrating the artist’s poetic spirit and sense of humor united with a fondness for luxury. Le Gall’s work is found in many prestigious private and public collections worldwide, including Musée La Piscine in Roubaix and Montreal’s Musée des Beaux-Arts. He has held solo exhibitions at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs at the Château Borély in Marseille, the Musée de Beaux-Arts in Riom, and at Villa Kérylos at the French Centre de Monuments Historiques. In tandem with his work as an artist, he has also worked for two decades as a scenographer and consultant for large museums in France, including the Jacquemart-André and Musée Maillol, as well as the Grand Palais and Musée d’Orsay, where he helped stage exhibitions of Claude Monet and Pierre Bonnard respectively. Admired by top architects and designers such as Peter Marino, Caroline Sarkozy, and Jacques Garcia, Le Gall’s sculptures and furniture appear in Dior boutiques, and he has also collaborated with distinguished French brands Ruinart and Hermes.
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