Growing up in the French countryside, Ronan Bouroullec often found himself alone.
His brother, Erwan, was five years younger than him, and at 10 years old that gap felt significant. As a result, Bouroullec took to drawing. “For me, it was an escape,” he says. But more than that, it sparked his interest in objects and design.
At 15, he was encouraged to study art, experimenting in many different mediums before leaving Brittany for Paris at 17. In this pre-internet age, Bouroullec would go to the library to immerse himself in design, but the books didn’t have photos. “I found them boring, cerebral, and badly written,” he recalls. “I understood then that objects are always around us, and I didn’t need a book. I could study what was around me.”
The Céramique collection for Flos are handcrafted, drawing inspiration from Castiglioni and Scarpa fixtures from the 1970s and ’80s
At that time, Philippe Starck was making waves with his avant-garde pieces, gaining celebrity status in the design world. Seeing Starck’s rise inspired Bouroullec, who soon discovered the works of masters like Shiro Kuramata, Isamu Noguchi, and Donald Judd.
His big break came in 1997 when he caught the attention of Giulio Cappellini with Disintegrated Kitchen at the Salon du Meuble in Paris. That collaboration led to the creation of the futuristic Soliflore vase, which entered the collection of the Centre Pompidou, propelling Bouroullec onto the international design scene.
Then, just as quickly, Erwan joined Bouroullec in Paris. “I was 27, and I needed help. My brother came to Paris as a student, and he started to assist me.” The partnership grew, and soon the duo became a venerated pair in the design world—often referred to as the Charles and Ray Eames of their generation.
In 2024, after more than a quarter century of working together, the brothers ended their creative partnership, making it official by moving out of their shared studio in Paris.
A trio of colorful handcrafted lamps comprise Céramique for Flos
Despite the shift, Bouroullec continues to push deign boundaries, working with brands like Flos on one of his latest solo endeavors.
For the Italian lighting company, he launched Céramique, a trio of colorful handmade lamps that reflect his appreciation for craftsmanship, drawing inspiration from Castiglioni and Scarpa fixtures from the 1970s and ’80s. “During the day, [the lamp] has a beautiful, sensual presence, which is just as important as the light it produces,” he says.
Today, Bouroullec’s legacy is as much about invention as it is his commitment to elevating craftspeople. “I like to jump from one subject to another. I’m a specialist of nothing, but I like to work with specialists. It’s a very large map of possibility, and it’s my passion to embrace [it].”
This article originally appeared in HD’s February/March 2025 issue.
