Coveted by galleries and collectors around the world, Paul Mathieu‘s work continues to influence international design with the launch of LIBRE, a collection of plasterglass resin chairs which debuts on February 9 at Ralph Pucci, New York.
With LIBRE, Mathieu returns to the chair, one of the forms that has defined his award-winning collections. Beginning in 1987, the ICE chair, a collaboration between him and Michael Ray, was brought to global attention by design legend Andrée Putman and subsequently heralded by Le Monde as “..favorable to poetic meditation.” Since then, the breadth and depth of Mathieu’s oeuvre has become evident throughout the world – a reflection of his passion for travel and ateliers in New York, Aix en Provence and Udaipur. In addition to bespoke commissions for private clients, popular collections for Ralph Pucci, Odegard, Luxury Living, Donghia and Holly Hunt reflect the consistent demand for his work. His cast bronze Aria dining chair, awarded Best of Year by Interior Design Magazine, remains a signature piece within a collection that has expanded into lighting, tables and case goods.
Mathieu’s design of structures like the Gyan Museum in Jaipur, which was recognized in the AD100 and AD50, present an immersive expression of his vision, while sacred spaces such as the Madeleine Church in Aix-en-Provence reveal its deep transcendence. His painstakingly restored 17th-century haveli in Udaipur, featured in The World of Interiors, ELLE Decor and Heart and Home: Rooms That Tell Stories (Rizzoli), offers a glimpse into his home in “the Venice of the East.”
The LIBRE chair collection, which follows the Grace floor lamp and the award-winning Dee collections at Ralph Pucci, is sculpted with a proprietary blend of plasterglass and fiberglass-resin. Suitable for indoor and outdoor use, it is available in black and white. The pieces are textured with a matte finish, ensuring that each one retains the unique impression of the artist.
Mathieu’s approach, born of technical mastery and boundless creativity, combines the poetry of natural elements to create fluid, sculptural forms that evoke a dialogue between space and form, stillness and motion. According to Mathieu, LIBRE began with a sketch and then evolved into the three-dimensional. “Guided by intuition and layers of memories and sensations, I always start in the same place – a state of mind completely free from what I have done before. First, I explore the sensorial aspects, asking, ‘How will this feel to touch, to regard?” Then I grab my sketchbook and begin to sketch. I let go and let the sketch guide me.”
