Charlotte Perriand (1903–1999) is a key figure in 20th-century design and architecture. A free-spirited, daring and deeply humanistic designer, she revolutionised modern living by placing functionality and innovation at the service of the masses. Trainded at the Union centrale des arts décoratifs de Paris, she quickly turned away from the traditional codes of Art Deco, which she considered outdated. In 1927, at just 24 years old, she made a name for herself at the Salon d’Automne with her “Bar sous le toit”, a visionary work combining tubular steel and aluminium, inspired by the automotive industry. This success led her to join the studio of Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, where she spent ten years designing the interior fittings for their architectural projects. Together, they designed furniture that has become iconic, such as the Fauteuil grand confort, the Chaise longue basculante and the Fauteuil pivotant, completely rethinking modern living around the modularity and comfort. Activist, Charlotte Perriand participated in the founding of the Union des artistes modernes (UAM) in 1929, advocating a “truly social art”. She became politically active in the 1930s alongside the Association des écrivains et artistes révolutionnaires, supported the Spanish Republic and participated in several engaged projects, as the Salon des arts ménagers or the Exposition universelle of 1937.

Invited in Japan in 1940 to contribute to the modernisation of industrial art, she discovered a refined culture that profoundly transformed her vision of design. The art of emptiness, mastery of space and the balance between beauty and utility nourish his future creations. Her second stay in 1955 definitively anchored this influence in her work. A pioneer of modern design, Charlotte Perriand successfully combined art, architecture and social commitment to invent a new “art of living”. Her legacy remains a model of free, sustainable and people-oriented creation.