Les Lalanne: Zoophites

A personal, playful tribute to the Lalannes featuring their signature animal-inspired works as well as some rare collaborative pieces

In 1964, Claude (1925-2019) and François-Xavier Lalanne (1927-2008) held their first joint solo exhibition, titled Zoophites: an obsolete French term for invertebrate animals that resemble plants. This would turn out to be a fitting title for their oeuvre, chiefly composed of whimsical renditions of sheep, monkeys, rabbits, birds and more. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of this show, Kasmin presents a revitalized exhibition of the Lalannes’ work under the same title. The zoomorphic tables, chairs, sculptures and more are all drawn entirely from the collection of the Lalannes’ eldest daughter, Caroline Hamisky Lalanne. The catalog features over 100 color images in addition to archival photographs. Zoophites is also unique in that it documents some rare collaborative sculptures by the artist couple, who shared a home and studio but rarely worked together.