Born in Lyon, France in 1973 I spent my young life cultivating a passion for sculpture and studied mechanical theory and technical drawing. I was admitted to the “l’ecole nationale des beaux art” of Saint Etienne where I specialised in sculpture and product design.
Since I have travelled extensively and worked as a freelance designer in Berlin and London collaborating with other artists on projects ranging from design to sculpture and video.
Today I live in Durban with my wife Suzanne and daughter Stella and we have opened the company Clarisse Design.
The aim of our company is to design and manufacture our own product range as well as bespoke furniture , installations and sculpture. Our philosophy is to produce pieces that are both original and timeless, both forward looking and drawing on past traditions. We do not compromise on the quality of materials used as our objective is to produce pieces that survive fashion and time.
Xavier Clarisse.