CHRISTIAN LIAIGRE "OLON" ARMCHAIR

This rare version of Chrisitan Liaigre's Olon Armchair, virtually unavailable today, was designed and crafted in Paris. It is the only version of the chair possessing a woven wicker back panel. Liaigre (1943-2020) was one of the most influential designers of the last centure, celebrated for both his highly refined interiors and his exquisitely crafted furniture—pieces that marry elegance with a modest simplicity. Liaigre was born in the Vendée region of France, where his family bred horses—which explains the strong equestrian influence in his work. He attended the Paris Academy of Fine and Decorative Arts, where he was influenced by the sculptors Diego Giacometti and Constantin Brancusi. After completing his education, he returned to the countryside to become a horse breeder, but his love of design outweighed his love of horses, and he opened his first showroom in Paris in 1987, introducing the world to his exquisitely crafted artisanal-produced work. During his decades long career, he created interiors for the Hotel Montalembert on Paris’s Left Bank, and the Mercer Hotel in Manhattan, as well as for numerous private estates and yachts. His client list included art dealer Larry Gagosian, the artist Marina Abramovic, the fashion designer Calvin Klein, and the hotel impresario Ian Schrager. The pieces were acquired from a private estate in New York.