Les Mille et Une Nuits: From Canvas to Furniture

20/01/2023 - Henri Matisse’s painting Les Mille et Une Nuits inspired the new Maison Matisse office accessories collection by Guillaume Delvigne. Made from sculpted cork blocks, the series of stools, trays and shelves is on display until 23 January in Paris for Maison & Objet 2023.

With the Les Mille et Une Nuits collection, French designer Guillaume Delvigne creates a three-dimensional version of the paper cuttings of Matisse’s work, elaborating his personal "freeform" language. "For me it was very important that the designs were not rigid, because it would not be in the spirit of Matisse" explains Guillaume Delvigne "and that instead they created movement and made the collection dynamic"  Starting from the collages and compositions of Henri Matisse, Guillaume Delvigne created a series of colorful objects that fit and stratify freely, such as the cup and tray organizer, or shelves that can be installed in multiples and upside down to form a bookcase. The details of the painting are recognizable in the shapes of the objects: the oval on the right side of the painting becomes a tray, a purse or the top of the stool, while the blue round shape on the left becomes a pencil holder. Between intense colors and sinuous asymmetries, Maison Matisse office accessories organize the space in a functional and versatile way. The material chosen for the Les Mille et Une Nuits collection is the cork that guarantees sustainability and an uncommon use of color. Henri Matisse interpreted modern art with joy and optimism, in a constant search for the balance between colour and form. With Maison Matisse, founded by one of the artist’s great-grandchildren, this approach keep inspiring and finding new expressions in furnishing objects, in collaboration with emerging talents and international designers to interpret Matisse’s artistic experimentation.

Maison Matisse on Archiproducts