STUDIO
It is in Geneva, in his studio, that Philippe Cramer designs unique pieces as well as limited editions. Depending on the project, Philippe selects the various artisans who will assist him in the execution of his works. The handmade imprint of its partner artisans; cabinetmaker, jeweler, marble worker, or even embroiderer; as well as that of the creator himself is found in the subtle nuances from one piece to another, always new. Poetic, durable and produced with carefully selected materials, his works attract the eye of discerning collectors.
Philippe owes his freedom to the fact of having founded his own studio, Cramer + Cramer in 2001. Designed as a laboratory, the gallery is above all, for the artist, a place of experimentation which allows him to develop his creative proposals without constraints. He likes to use traditional and ancestral techniques as well as taking the time to explore new manufacturing processes, materials and technologies.
Its forms, when they have, summon both ancient archetypes and the figure of the inner child to impose themselves on everyone with a disturbing familiarity. His works captivate with their sensuality: playful softness of forms, explosive joy of color, raw obviousness of the material, elegance, and finally, clean lines.
His work is born from an instinct more than an approach, from a gesture more than a concept. Each of his creations draws its source from the raw, visceral sensitivity of the artist, his interest in artifacts from the Ancient World and his fascination with the poetry of nature.
He creates rooms to live in, to share and to pass on to future generations.
PHILIPPE CRAMER
Coming from a family of gallery owners and publishers, Philippe grew up in Switzerland and the United States with the living flame of creativity. Since the age of 20, he has designed works that are as dreamlike as they are practical, with the aim of enchanting the world while transforming it. It responds to the functional nature of design with the essentiality of art.
Philippe has been invited by various large houses, institutions or private clients to collaborate on projects. Recently he created accessories for Petit h de Hermès. He was commissioned by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs to design rooms for the staff apartments in Geneva and Pretoria. United Nations Young Activists Summit as well as the Louis-Jeantet Foundation called on Philippe to design their prize. Dom Pérignon, Eternit, Editions Take 5, Bernhardt Design, Georg Jensen, Made. com, Winkreative and the City of Geneva among others have requested Philippe’s collaboration on various projects.
Banque Pictet commissioned him to create works for their headquarters. Philippe created the scenography for Night Fall, the ephemeral restaurant in Artgenève.
The Geneva Museum of Art and History dedicated an exhibition to him in the form of a carte blanche entitled “L’Ornement Jamais”. This set has since been included in the Museum’s permanent collection. Philippe was distinguished by the UBS Foundation for Culture for all of his work.
His works can be found in the collections of the Museum of Art and History, Maison Tavel, the Ariana Museum, MuDAC, Group Pictet as well as in private collections around the world.
His work has been exhibited in the Swiss Cultural Center in Milan, the Lapidarium museum in Prague, the Audi Foundation in Beirut, the Kicelli Museum in Budapest, as well as in the Edward Mitterrand, S. Bensimon and ArtCurial galleries in Paris, Ormond Éditions in Zurich or Caroline Freymond in Gstaad.
Many magazines have published in-depth articles on the work of Philippe Cramer, among others Wallpaper, Vogue (Germany, Brazil), Elle Decoration (France, Italy, Great Britain, Germany), AD (France, Italy, Germany), L ‘Official, Metropolis, Le Monde and The Chicago Tribune.
Photo credit © Annik Wetter
