Maria Pergay

Maria Pergay (28 October 1930 – 31 October 2023) was a French pioneer of stainless steel objects and furniture.[1] She had said that she favored steel for its strength and availability, among other qualities.[2]

Pergay made her name in the 60s when she was approached by Uginox, represented by Gérard Martel, a French stainless-steel company, to design small decorative objects. In return, she designed a collection of furniture showcased at the Maison Jardin gallery in 1968.[3] The collection included two metal furnishings, the Flying Carpet Daybed and the Ring Chair, described as inspired by the spiraling form of an orange peel.[4] “I was peeling an orange for my children, and thought how nice it looked,” Pergay told The New York Times.[5] Her stool Vague (1968) is included in the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection.[6]

Pergay has been commissioned by Givenchy, Pierre Cardin, Fendi, Christian Dior, Jacques Heim and Salvador Dalí.[1] Better known in Europe, where her work has been exhibited since 1971 after a first show curated by Air France, the New York gallery Demisch Danant hosted her first retrospective in 2006.[7] Her installation Metamorphosis was exhibited at the 2013 Design Miami fair.[8]

Pergay died on 31 October 2023, at the age of 93.[9]

  1. ^ a b Magazine, Wallpaper* (30 November 2018). "Maria Pergay 'Iconic' retrospective opens at David Gill Gallery". Wallpaper*.
  2. ^ Reif, Rita (31 January 1970). "Now When You Buy Stainless Steel, It May Be a Bed or a Desk". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  3. ^ "Maria Pergay". www.christies.com.
  4. ^ "Vogue Living Sep/Oct 2018: Maria Pergay". Jason Mowen. 30 November 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  5. ^ Rawsthorn, Alice (18 March 2012). "The Soft and Elegant Side of Stainless Steel". The New York Times.
  6. ^ "Maria Pergay — "Vague" Stool". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  7. ^ "Maria Pergay | 1957 - 1979 - Designers - Demisch Danant". www.demischdanant.com.
  8. ^ "What to see at Design Miami/ 2013". Vogue Australia. 4 December 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  9. ^ Rosa Bertoli (8 November 2023). "In Memoriam: Maria Pergay (1930–2023)". wallpaper.com. Retrieved 8 November 2023.