Maria Pergay (28 October 1930 – 31 October 2023) was a French pioneer of stainless steel objects and furniture.[1] She had said that she favored steel for its strength and availability, among other qualities.[2]
Pergay made her name in the 60s when she was approached by Uginox, represented by Gérard Martel, a French stainless-steel company, to design small decorative objects. In return, she designed a collection of furniture showcased at the Maison Jardin gallery in 1968.[3] The collection included two metal furnishings, the Flying Carpet Daybed and the Ring Chair, described as inspired by the spiraling form of an orange peel.[4] “I was peeling an orange for my children, and thought how nice it looked,” Pergay told The New York Times.[5] Her stool Vague (1968) is included in the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection.[6]
Pergay has been commissioned by Givenchy, Pierre Cardin, Fendi, Christian Dior, Jacques Heim and Salvador Dalí.[1] Better known in Europe, where her work has been exhibited since 1971 after a first show curated by Air France, the New York gallery Demisch Danant hosted her first retrospective in 2006.[7] Her installation Metamorphosis was exhibited at the 2013 Design Miami fair.[8]
Pergay died on 31 October 2023, at the age of 93.[9]