Portrait of matali crasset

Nathalie Crasset was born on July 28, 1965, in Châlons-en-Champagne, Marne. An internationally renowned French designer, she began her training at the École Nationale Supérieure de Création Industrielle de Paris (ENSCI) in 1988. At the same time, she established her artistic identity by becoming matali crasset, a name without capital letters, reflecting her atypicality. She then continued her studies at Denis Santachiara's studio in Milan before joining Philippe Starck's studio in Paris for five years. Her experience in Milan developed her interest in electronic design. At Philippe Stack, she headed the Thomson Multimedia design structure, Tim Thom. 

In 1998, accompanied by her husband, Francis Fichot, she established her own studio-house in Belleville and separated from Philippe Starck. matali crasset is known for her taste for color and playful design. One of her most famous works is "Permis de Construire" (Building Permit) for Domeau et Pérès, an exceptional furniture company. 

This work illustrates the consideration of the anthropological value of objects. For matali crasset, design is at once human, social, and ecological. Here, the modular sofa allows children to turn it into a veritable playground. The artist invites adults to express their instincts, rather than social conventions. Something children do naturally. She says, "I want to give them choice, to instill fluidity and flexibility." 

She identifies with the projects of Jean-Baptiste Godin, a 19th-century French industrialist, such as the Familistère. The notion of community is familiar to matali crasset. Her house-workshop in Belleville, a former printing house divided into apartments, is shared with ten other families.  

She sports a unique and androgynous look, which she readily explains. Her "bowl cut" is said to be ideal for "a better flow of ideas," while her square glasses are said to demonstrate her intense curiosity.

The French designer experiments with several types of creations: architecture, scenography, object design, furniture, and works for public spaces and developments.

Artist's Creations 

Le Blobterre by matali, 2012, Centre Pompidou, Paris 

A hybrid space of an artificial garden. Blobterre includes its own sounds and smells. To create this imaginary environment and bring it to life, the artist called upon his partners. The upholsterers Domeau & Pérès, and Campeggi in Nodus, who made a knotted rug in Nepal. The flooring is furnished by Tarkett, Blachère for the metal structures, and Firmenich for the scent, for example.

PS Wardrobe, 2014, IKEA, Ikea PS capsule collection 

To launch its Ikea PS 2014 capsule collection, the Swedish company commissioned several designers, including matali crasset, Tomas Alonso, David Wahl, and Margrethe Odgaard.

Pierre Lapointe, Amours, Déices & Orgues, 2017 

With students from UQAM Montréal, Matali Crasset created the scenography for a show at the Maison symphonique during the FrancoFolies de Montréal in June 2017.

matali crasset and her unique universe have fascinated audiences for nearly 30 years. Focused on the human element, the artist has taught at the Head in Geneva since 2010 and given lectures around the world.

For more information, watch the Museum TV documentary "Influences, a History of Art in the Present - Matali Crasset, Playful and Political Design."