French multidisciplinarian Jean-Marie Massaud was born near Toulouse, France, in 1966. His visionary work spans architecture and the full spectrum of object design from bespoke furniture and industrial products, to, more recently, futuristic installations like a helium-filled airship hotel.
Educated at the renowned Les Ateliers cole Nationale Suprieure de Cration Industrielle in Paris (along with fellow alums Cdric Ragot, Philippe Malouin, Nina Tolstrup, Arik Levy, among others), Massaud moved to Asia after his 1990 graduation to collaborate with Yamaha Offshore on a submarine design. Upon his return to Paris, he enjoyed a four-year intensive partnership with his former Les Ateliers professor Marc Berthier, an industrial products maestro. In 1996, he laid the foundation for his own studio, which officially launched in partnership with architect-turned-product-designer Daniel Pouhezet in 2000 as Studio Massaud.
Studio Massauds macro-architectural projects include the Tanab House in Fukuoka (2000) and the volcano-shaped Estadio Akron for the Chivas football club in Guadlajara. Massaud has created interiors for Sephora, Poltrona Frau, and B&B Italia / C&B Italia; his product design clients include Paloma Picasso, Cacherel, Air France, Kartell, Axor, and Daum, among others. Hes also worked on branding for Lancme; B&B Italia, Wastberg, and Foscarini.
Massaud designed his first furniture pieces the sculptural Horizontal Chair (1998), exhibited in January 1999 at the Muse des Arts Dcoratifs in Paris, and the architectonic Chuck Rocking Chair (2000), based in steel and upholstered in polyurethane foam for the Tokyo furniture label E&Y. In 2001, he collaborated with Cappellini (at Giulio Cappellini's behest) to produce his polished fiberglass InOut Sofa (2001). His post-Cappellini CV includes work for Cassina (Aspen Sofa and Auckland Armchair, both 2005), Arper (Fred H74 Table, 2007), Dedon (Dean Slingchairs, 2016), Emu (Heaven Seating, 2007), Poltrona Frau (Archibald Armchair, 2009, and Gran Torino collection, 2013), B&B Italia (Seven Table, 2008), and various designers for Poliform.
Massaud has said he draws design inspiration from the thoughtful elegance of Charles & Ray Eames, the eclecticism of Philippe Starck and Castiglioni Brothers, the sharpness of Antonio Citterio, and the expansive creativity of Leonardo da Vinci and Thomas Edison. His work has received several honors, such as the Crateur de l Ann e at the Paris Salon du Mueble (2007, 2009), the Wallpaper Design Award (2014), and the Interior Innovation Award (2015), and can be found in the design collections of major international museums, from the Muse National d'Art Moderne de Paris, to the Museum fr Gestaltung Zurich, The Chicago Athenaeum, The Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam), and the Muse des arts Dcoratifs (Paris).
