Pierre Paulin

Pierre Paulin (1927 - 2009) studied at the Camondo school, a renowned Parisian institution for the decorative arts, and began his career in the workshop of Marcel Gascoin, initiator of mass-produced furniture and boat furniture. At the 1953 Salon des arts ménagers, his bold creations seduced the public and were noticed by Thonet France, which became his first publisher. He designed desks (CM 141, CM 178) and chairs, including the famous CM 190. Strongly inspired by Florence Knoll and Charles Eames, his design is surprising. In 1958, with Artifort, Pierre Paulin designed chairs with organic shapes covered in jersey and produced in acid colours. His Mushrooms series and his Ribbon chairs, created in 1959 and 1966 respectively, were revolutionary. The Tongue chair (1967) was equally successful. In 1970, the designer began a collaboration with the Mobilier National and created various pieces of furniture, first for President Georges Pompidou, whose private flats he furnished at the Élysée Palace, and then for the office of President François Mitterrand. At the same time, Pierre Paulin founded the ADSA agency in 1975 with his wife, Maïa Wodsislawska, and Marc Lebailly. He then designed for various brands such as Allibert and Calor Tefal, participated in the design of public places and began designing for industry. He ended his remarkable career as a designer at Roset. Pierre Paulin's furniture has become a cult item and is now on display at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, at MoMA in New York, and at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. It has also been the subject of numerous exhibitions around the world.