Mathieu MATEGOT

In 1931, after studying at the Beaux-Arts of Budapest, Mathieu Matégot settled down in France. There, he worked as a set creator for the Folies Bergères, merchandiser for the Galeries Lafayette and stylist for Parisian brands. He voluntarily joined the French army during World War II and was made prisoner, then released in 1945. Once he came back to Paris, he developed a workshop producing hand- made furniture. He remained a designer for a relatively short period of time, until the beginning of the 60s. During that time, he notably created the tripod chair “nagasaki” (1954), now part of the design collection of the Musée des Arts décoratifs; and the armchair “copacabana” (1955), part of the design collection of the Centre George Pompidou. Mathieu Matégot was one of the first to use steel tubes and perforated plate, the materials the chair and the armchair are made of. Those two pieces are especially representative of his work. During this decade, he also works as a decorator on several projects, in France and abroad: Hotel de France in Conakry (1951), Drugstor Publicis and Maison de l’ORTF in Paris (1962).