Christophe Come

Large Yellow Loukoum

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Previously exhibited at Shanghai 2021.

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Description/

There is no single phrase to describe Christophe Côme: he is an artist whose métier is furniture, a craftsman who accepts the machine, a furniture designer whose objects have the refinement of sculpture. The Frenchman creates extraordinary one-of-a-kind pieces framed in hand-forged, textured iron that he improbably marries with translucent glass block or other natural materials.
In the tradition of his countrymen Edgar Brandt and Raymond Subes, he transforms this humble component into singular decorative objects. But where Brandt and Subes crafted graceful iron forms in the visual vocabulary of Art Deco, Côme’s designs are unquestionably modern and wholly unpredictable; as it is impossible to label the artist, it is equally impossible to classify his designs. Though clearly the products of a strong aesthetic vision, they belong to no definable period or style, residing as comfortably alongside 18th century antiques as with other 21st century objects.
As apprentice to sculptor Lois Derbre, Come learned the techniques of molding, casting and finishing by working in bronze, a material he still regards with reverence. Leaving in 1994 to begin an independent career and finding bronze too costly, the young artist turned to iron as an alternative. It proved a fortuitous choice, as he discovered the variations in rust and texture offered by this modest material, and iron became his primary medium.
Beginning with small sculptures, Côme quickly moved on to more functional objects … and made another chance discovery when he visited a producer of industrial glass who sold to artists. He was captivated by the light-transmitting possibilities of the material, purchased some glass blocks, and began to explore ways of combining them with iron. This combination became his singular means of expression, and he has continued to work with it for almost two decades, assembling iron with industrial glass in varying configurations into cabinets, tables, etagères and sculptural lighting elements.

Christophe Come

designer

1965 -  Nationality: French
Christophe Côme works in the great tradition of artists and craftsmen. Raised in an artistic family, his uncle is a renown ceramicist and his sister is an acclaimed illustrator.
Côme studied under the French sculptor Louis Derbe where he learned the technique of casting bronze. Côme’s original creations were sculptures and jewelry, but towards the mid 1990s he started exploring furniture forms. After a visit to a glass studio in 1995, he began incorporating glass into his pieces. The addition of this medium revolutionized his work.
Côme's inspiration for designs range from architectural wrought ironwork to contemporary sculpture to objects found in nature. Starting with conventional iron, he shapes and defines the forms through texture and oxidation producing distinctive finishes. Côme pairs these objects with industrial crystal and molded glass lenses that he often transforms through carving, melting, and slumping. The metamorphosis of this raw industrial material through Come’s stylistic vocabulary creates objects that transcend time.
A true heir to the French tradition of design and craftsmanship, his works evokes the architectural austerity of Pierre Chareau and echoes the modern sensibility towards materials found in the work of Jean Royére. His work has a distinctive style of pure elegance that is balanced with a fresh outlook. His sculptural perspective emanates through his furniture and lighting design elevating everyday objects into works of art.
Côme is based in Paris, France.