Matali Crasset’s journey to recognition has been swift, and she has unquestionably cemented her place among the world’s finest designers. Nonetheless, the ideas of this outstanding French designer from the Marne region are not as readily marketable as those of some of her peers: her approach is strongly conceptual, and she is interested in installations that are a cross between art and industrial design. Her art defies classification; she prefers to keep her design options open.

Early years
Crasset’s childhood on a farm undoubtedly influenced her distinct design style. All aspects of life are intertwined in rural cultures, and problems are approached more pragmatically than in urban cultures. Crasset was accepted into one of France’s most prestigious universities, an event that profoundly influenced her intellectual growth. She aims to reimagine the world while emphasising classic themes and values like hospitality, empathy, and generosity. Her creations exemplify inventive sensuality. She frequently comes up with unexpected solutions, such as food and drink warmer fashioned like a human torso (for Tefal) or the lei Pari radio (for Thomson), which uses a funnel as a loudspeaker. Her art defies classification; she prefers to keep her design options open.


Influences
Crasset met the pioneering Italian designer Denis Santachiara, whose novel design processes she studied for a year during a time of practical instruction in Milan. Another influential personality has been Philippe Starck, under whom she worked on designing radios and recorders for Tim Thom, the design department of the French electronics company Thomson. She designed furniture for Domeau & Peres, Domodinamica, and Neotu beginning in the late 1990s. She designed lighting for Artemide in her studio. Crasset has also worked on initiatives that investigate how humans interact with their surroundings. Despite her unusual style, she never loses her sense of realism, as evidenced by the widely appreciated interior of the Hi Hotel in Nice.
Sources
Polster, B. (2006). The A to Z of modern design. Merrell.
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