ronan and erwan bouroullec part ways

Ronan and erwan bouroullec venture on their own

Brothers and design duo Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec have parted ways following their move from their shared studio in the 10th Arrondissement in Paris as the New York Times reports. In an interview with designboom, Ronan Bouroullec shared how the brothers’ creative process often flowed. ‘We discuss, we sit down, we walk, we draw. It is more and more difficult to associate a specific process and to know what, in fact, is a good idea. The design process usually takes two or three years,’ he tells designboom in our interview with him in their shared studio in Paris.

He adds in our interview that ‘it’s not about speed; it’s a long time, and during this process, there are so many aspects that can destroy an idea. So, when it comes out surviving this long period, it means it’s a good idea.’ Before the separation, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec collaborated with several brands and companies across industries including VITRA, Alessi, Axor Hansgrohe, Cappellini, Established & Sons, Flos, Hay, Kettal, Kvadrat, Kartell, Glas Italia, Ligne Roset, Magis, Iittala, Mattiazzi, Mutina, Nani Marquina, and Samsung.

Erwan and Ronan Bouroullec | image © designboom | read more here

Ronan Bouroullec presents solo works

The recent creations of Ronan Bouroullec on his own may have established the truth behind the split-up of the brothers and designers. In 2023 alone, the Hôtel des Arts in Toulon, France, hosted nearly 300 works of Ronan Bouroullec in a solo exhibition as part of Villa Noailles’ off-site program. These drawings, all of which have been preserved, revealed the scope, depth, and complexity of Ronan Bouroullec’s private trove, which explores color and form through fluid, repetitive movements.

In the same year, the Galerie de Sèvres showcased the Lampes Sèvres exhibition, a collaborative project by Ronan Bouroullec and the historical French porcelain manufacturer, the Manufacture de Sèvres. The exhibition spotlighted a collection of lamps designed by Ronan Bouroullec consisting of an aluminum base available in three different heights and a porcelain aureole. Ronan Bouroullec also worked on the new furnishings of the Monts d’Arrée, the small chapel of Mont Saint-Michel de Brasparts, in July 2022, a year after its devastating fire. These recent solo ventures of the brother and designer may have the design industry already clued up on the ending of their collaboration.

Hôtel Des Arts in France for Ronan Bouroullec’s daily drawings | image by Ronan Bouroullec | read more here

Exploring the designs of Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec

Looking back at the design legacy of the brothers, Ronan and Erwan worked together for around three decades before their separation. Their studio was located in the 10th Arrondissement in Paris, the home to their first industrial design projects with Cappellini in 1997. From then on, the brothers and design duo catapulted into the limelight of the design industry with collaborations with Galerie Kreo in 2000, Issey Miyake for his collection A-Poc, and Vitra for a new office system called Joyn. Since then, the brothers were tapped by and collaborated with Artek, Alessi, Axor Hansgrohe, Cappellini, Established & Sons, Flos, Hay, Kettal, Kvadrat, Kartell, Glas Italia, Ligne Roset, Magis, Iittala, Mattiazzi, Mutina, Nani Marquina, Samsung, and Vitra, to name a few.

Remembering the shared passion for various design fields comes through. From jewelry, spatial arrangements, and architecture to drawings, videos, and photography, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec amassed a collection of works that sealed their collective identity. They created a series of furniture catered to people working from home while still ideal for office spaces with Established & Sons, and devised architectural stained glasses composed of four pattern variations with Skyline Design. They even interpreted vases as a celebration of the 150th anniversary of Henri Matisse’s birth and, in another exhibition during Stockholm Design Week 2020, used ceramic for their glass flowers.

Lampes Sèvres exhibition | image by Ronan Bouroullec | read more here

Ropes that became the back and armrests of chairs made of beech plywood and ash veneer, and minimalist eyeglasses in vibrant colors also emerged in the portfolio of Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec’s shared designs. They were followed by a team-up with Flos to produce a lighting project for Tadao Ando’s Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection in Paris and the launch of the new generation of VITRA alcove sofa family for post-pandemic setups.

In 2022, the Philadelphia Museum of Art set the stage for the design works of Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec that spanned over two decades, and in the same year, the brothers and duo came up with a meandering modular park bench for the Danish brand HAY. Between the timelines, which may be another indication of the looming separation of the brothers as designers, Ronan Bouroullec had already presented his first solo exhibition at Galerie Kreo in London in 2021, which was followed by a show focusing on the creative facets of clay in 2022 with the same gallery.

Ronan Bouroullec at Mont Saint-Michel de Brasparts | image © Claire Lavabre – Studio Bouroullec | read here