Pierre sala, fish pilot chair, limited edition, 1983

Pierre Sala (1948-1989) Pilot Fish Chair from the Side Chair series. No. 49/450, France, 1983. Lacquered wood in yellow, black, and white. Limited edition of 250 copies. Signed, dated, and numbered ‘Pilot Fish, 49/250, Sala, 83’ Height 90 × Width 42 × Depth 41 cm. Bibliography: Ivan Mietton, Pierre Lonjou, Théo Caviezel, Pierre Sala, Hors Champ edition, 2024. Biography: Pierre Sala (1948-1989) had a unique journey. After studying scenography and gestural semiology, this young Parisian, inspired by the spirit of the 1970s, embarked on theatrical production at the age of 20. This led to an exciting adventure where he worked both as a writer and a stage manager. Often wordless, the theatre he promoted aimed to be experimental, visual, and sensory. Critics would long remember Lysis (1974), Grenouille (1975), Tête d’Angles (1976), and Maison Rouge (1980). A different decade brought different desires. Sala entered the 1980s with a strong desire to express himself as a furniture designer. The Piranha chair, emblematic of his first collection, achieved immediate success. Three years later, the Clairefontaine desk notebook established him on the international design scene. Until 1988, Pierre Sala enjoyed designing collections full of whimsy. Alongside this aesthetic quest, he took on commissions as an interior architect, bringing his innovative perspective to the design of bars, restaurants, and other public or private spaces. Tragically, he was cut down in his fortieth year in 1989, leaving behind numerous projects in the form of prototypes or ideas.