EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
WITH NORMAL STUDIO
nder the name of Normal Studio, Jean-François Dingjian and
Eloi Chafaï defend an Elementary Design. These two creators are
less attached to the formal search for an object than to the tool that
will make it, the one that generates the shape and guides them in
the first sketches of a chair, table or even a luminaire. Behind their
name slips a palate for the right forms. Deeply committed to the
social and cultural values of design, these authors produce timeless
objects that don’t obey to any trends. Eloï and Jean, the two in-
credibly accomplished designers that compose the duo, started by
describing Normal Studio.
’We are a small studio and we do about
everything regarding industrial design,
furniture design, lighting fixtures, interior
architecture and artistic consultation for
the brand. We’re like a small family. Very
artisanal. ‘’
It was somehow unavoidable to speak about craftsmanship. It is
probably the hottest topic in the industry right now, and every-
one wants to have something to say about it. Either in the form of
words, like many who advocate protective legislation to secure the
longevity of the arts, or, like Normal Studio, the ones who rely on
expert craftsmen’s work.
‘’Yes, we often work with galleries like
Carpenter’s Workshop, which has
exceptional craftsmen that are very hard
to find. It’s very satisfactory to research
with these guys, with their savoir-faire. ‘’
As for their favourite type of project, they don’t have a specific one,
per say. They both agreed that trying out new things, and research-
ing new ways and concepts is what they love the most.