Pierre Chapo

Pierre Chapo was born in Paris on 23 July in 1927. After his family moved to Cher, Pierre Chapo tried his hand at painting, and was interested in becoming a professional painter. However, after meeting a shipbuilder who introduced him to wood and wood crafts, Chapo changed his focus and decided to study architecture at the prestigious École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He studied at the faculty of architecture with Henri Larrieu and Louis Aublet.

His studies were interspersed with trips to the Scandinavian countries, military service in Germany, as well as a one-year trip to Central America and an internship in an architectural firm in Arizona. Among the many places the couple visited was the home and studio of Frank Lloyd Wright in Taliesin West. This visit had a lasting influence on Chapo’s future works and designs.

After returning home at the end of the 1950s, Chapo began creating his own designs and started marketing them with the assistance of his wife. It didn’t take long before his designs attracted a devoted clientele. Interestingly, one of his first clients was Samuel Beckett for whom he created the ‘’Godot bed’’ named after Beckett’s famous play. Initially, Chapo sold his work through the ‘’Galerie Chapo’’, a high-end shop that he and Nicole founded in 1958 on Boulevard de l'Hôpital in Paris, where, along with his own creations he displayed the work of other craftsmen and artists like Isamu Noguchi. Chapo shared Noguchi’s organic approach to arts and crafts and both designers resisted the stark industrial look that was dominant in the post-war period under the influence of socialism. Chapo wanted more than sheer 'utility' and believed that furniture design should be something that was aesthetically pleasing. He championed designs that were individual, timeless and had a universal quality. He was a big advocate of the importance of the golden ratio. Chapo continued to work with wood, mainly oak, ash and solid elm, which he articulated with his double interest in contemporary design and in traditional craftsmanship.

In 1960, Chapo was awarded the gold medal of the city of Paris at the Exhibition of Arts and Crafts. Most of his work at that time was produced at a workshop in Clamart. However, by the late 1960s Chapo wanted a new challenge, and he departed from his successful designs.  Influenced by the work of Charlotte Perriand, whom he admired a lot, he began to rethink his whole approach to furniture. In 1968, Chapo left Paris with his family and moved to Gordes, near Avignon. Inspired by the landscape, his designs became even more anchored in tradition, more rugged and bold. In Gordes, he opened his own furniture business, the "Chapo Gordes SA”, which is still in business today and is overseen by his son, Fidel.

During his 30-year career, Chapo never lost his commitment to the traditional crafts of cabinetmaking and joinery, and believed that they were essential for great furniture. His work can be seen as a fusion of modern design and traditional craftsmanship. His lifelong  love of wood and its qualities is evident in all of his works. ~H.

Available literature:

Pierre Chapo, A modern craftsman, Magen H. Gallery, New York 2017.