Born in France in 1924 as the daughter of an engineer, she was taught technical knowledge and an understanding of metalwork at home. However, sculpture was not the focus of her work from the very beginning. Lalanne first devoted herself to architecture and design, studying in Paris at the École des Beaux Arts and the École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs before creating her first sculptural works.
In the 1950s, she met her husband François-Xavier and at the same time focused more and more on the medium of art. The couple formed the successful artist duo “Les Lalanne”, who worked together but also independently. Even in joint projects, the unmistakable signature of Claude or François-Xavier always remained clearly recognizable. Both knew how to combine art and functionality, and the first joint exhibition featured sculptures that could also be used as seating, for example. What initially met with incomprehension from critics was to become a constant in the Lalannes' oeuvre, attracting more and more collectors and museums.
François-Xavier's works are often monumental and humorous, with animal motifs a recurring theme. Claude's works, on the other hand, appear more delicate, almost poetic and yet no less expressive. Botanical elements merge with everyday objects in an enchanting manner. Branches and leaves become seating furniture, chandeliers and mirrors made of metal. Lalanne achieved this lifelike depiction through galvanoplastics and traditional casting techniques, which made it possible to directly mold flowers and leaves. This method became a central part of her work and enabled her to retain the natural texture and beauty of the plants and immortalize them in bronze or other metals.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the Lalannes gained increasing recognition. Their works were collected by prominent personalities such as Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, who became important patrons and close friends of the artist couple. Claude Lalanne and Yves Saint Laurent collaborated in 1969 for the fashion house's fall/winter haute couture collection. For this, Lalanne took body casts of the model Veruschka in her studio and created body jewelry that the models could wear like a second skin. In addition to two iconic busts, casts of the fingertips were made, which Lalanne used to create surrealistic, unique pieces of jewelry with ornate tendrils, sprouting leaves and flowers.
Lalanne found a special form of expression in jewelry that continues to fascinate collectors to this day. Tendril necklaces, flowering bracelets and brooches seem to grow out of the bodies in a fabulous way - a symbiosis of human and nature. One might even be reminded of the mythological depiction of the nymph Daphne in Ovid's “Metamorphoses”, who transforms herself into a laurel tree.
The Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris honored the artist couple in 2010 with a retrospective entitled “Les Lalanne”, which paid tribute to their life's work. Their works are represented in international collections and museums.
