about

Xavier Lavergne is a qualified architect who has worked with the epitome of French excellence such as Jean Nouvel and La Cornue, on projects including the Palace of Versailles, townhouses in Neuilly sur Seine, the French pavilion in Osaka and the Temple of Culinary Arts in San Francisco. In recent times he has shifted his focus to design, seeking to explore the immediacy of the relationship between the piece and the creator. He defines French excellence as powerful artistry, expert craftsmanship, work that comes alive and improves with age. These tenets apply to gastronomy, fine wine and fashion as well as design –the pillars of the French art de vivre.

Xavier believes that a utilitarian object must be more than merely functional and attractive, perfect in form. As an artist he seeks to take his work further; to exchange these values for a deeper meaning. His art is situated at this exact point: it speaks not to the eye, but to the spirit. Born of his insatiable quest to explore fantasy worlds, his work invokes magnetic phenomena, alchemy, morphogenesis, organic structures and terrestrial forces. Behind closed doors a rigorous process of research and experimentation brings forth an ebullient cast of characters: jewels of the night sky, colored bubbles from the bowels of the planet, crocodile skins, beetles, and comets crashing exuberantly to Earth. His creations take up residence in the homes of a lucky few, ripe for close-up observation, to perhaps reveal their hidden sense.

« When the sun is high in the sky, at 48.5 degrees North latitude, I pierce materials to draw out the light and share it, like a gourmet meal of heavenly morsels, with those who are invited to each of my tables. We remake the world according to these materials, marveling at their substance, which allows us to grasp an infinitesimal fragment of eternity. »