Hervé Van der Straeten & Christopher Makos

Hervé Van der Straeten was born in 1965 and is an independent artist-designer who was first known for his jewelry creations, and now enjoys worldwide recognition for his furniture and lighting, which are instantly recognizable for the way he combines contrasting materials, bold variations of form and defiant volumes with perfect proportions, precision and detail. He designs and makes everything in his own dedicated bronze and cabinet making workshops and displays a selection of both his unique and limited-edition pieces in his own gallery in Paris. The artist-designer is also known for his projects with French luxury houses. Van der Straeten has received numerous awards from the French government during his career including L’Enterprise du Patrimonie Vivant and the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres. He joined RALPH PUCCI in 2004.

Christopher Makos is a renowned American artist, photographer and author. In the 1970s and 80s, he was a prominent figure in the New York downtown art scene where he befriended and then created raw, indelible portraits of Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Salvador Dali, Halston, Patti Smith and Mick Jagger. Born in 1948 in Lowell, MA, he grew up in California and went on to study architecture in Paris, briefly working as an apprentice for Man Ray. His photographs have been exhibited in more than 100 museums and galleries including the Guggenheim Bilbao, Tate Modern in London, Whitney Museum of Art in New York, and in 2020 in the Brooklyn Museum’s “Studio 54” show.