French designer Pierre Charpin was born in 1962 in Saint-Mandé, Paris. He studied art at the National School of Fine Arts in Bourges, graduating in 1984. In the early 1990s, he chose to concentrate on design. He has since realized a number of research and production projects, primarily involving ceramics, glass, and furniture characterized by simple lines and colors.
In 1995, Charpin was awarded the Valorizaton of Innovation in Furnishing (VIA) for using polystyrene (a material primarily associated with the packaging industry) to design shelves and chairs. In 2004, his cast glass Eau de Pari won the Société Anonyme de Gestion des Eaux de Paris competition, a contest aimed at encouraging Parisians to drink tap water. In 2005, he was named Creator of the Year by the Paris Salon du Meuble.
Since 2005, Charpin has worked exclusively with Galerie Kreo for the production of limited-edition pieces. He has also collaborated on projects with companies like Alessi, Issey Miyake Parfums, Ligne Roset, Zanotta, and others. In addition to his design work, he taught design at the Reims School of Art and Design (ESAD) from 1998 to 2008. Since 2006, he has also led several workshops for the Lausanne Cantonal Art School (ECAL). Today, Charpin lives and works on the outskirts of Paris in Ivry sur Seine.
