Francois-Xavier Lalanne

The dynamic duo of partners and artists Francois-Xavier Lalanne and Claude Lalanne co-created many works of art together. While Francois-Xavier favoured sculpting animal themes, Claude preferred vegetation, making their collaborations intersectional and provocative on an elemental level.

Born in 1908 in Agen, France, artist and sculptor Francois-Xavier Lalanne studied at the Académie Julian in Paris. During that time Lalanne was a part of an artistic circle that included Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray and Max Ernst amongst others. Being in the company of many surrealist based artists proved influential for Lalanne and in 1956 he found himself showing at his first gallery show, a show that would prove both successful to his art career as well as his personal life for it was there that he met his future partner Claude Lalanne. The two artists and lovers would go on to work collectively exploring art that went against the current trends of 1960's abstract art.

The couple began to attract attention in Paris when designer Yves Saint Laurent and Piergé commissioned them for numerous works, leading them to continue to produce work together and separately for many decades thereafter. Francois-Xavier passed away in 2008 with Claude continuing to produce works and honouring the legacy of her late husband. Their collective works are held in many prestigious collections such as the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and the Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York.