La machine est lancée et les Carpenters ont de grandes ambitions, à l’image d’un Larry Gagosian pour l’art. En 2015, ils inaugurent une troisième adresse à New York, sur la 5 e Avenue. Trois ans plus tard, ils partent à la conquête de la côte Ouest, avec un premier stop à San Francisco, avant de s’implanter en 2022 à Los Angeles. « On prend à chaque fois des risques, mais c’est notre façon de fonctionner. » Dans quelques jours, retour à Londres où tout a commencé. L’atelier des débuts à Chelsea s’était vite transformé en une élégante adresse à Mayfair, auquel s’ajoute aujourd’hui une ancienne usine de 4 000 mètres carrés,
à Notting Hill, transformée en un véritable lieu de vie, avec un espace d’exposition, un restaurant aménagé par Vincenzo de Cotiis et un bar conçu par Rick Owens et Michèle Lamy, d’autres créateurs « maison ». Sans oublier Ingrid Donat, la propre mère de Julien Lombrail, célèbre pour son mobilier en bronze. « Tout a commencé grâce à elle. Un jour, le marchand new-yorkais Barry Friedman lui a proposé de montrer ses créations. Je l’ai aidée à monter son exposition et j’ai pris goût à ce travail. » Elle doit être fière du parcours accompli. •
them to become gallery owners had practically no competition in this market segment. Other merchants sold older designer pieces, or those with an elegant and racy modernity. But, with the growing craze for contemporary art, a new clientele was appearing and the duo proved to be perfectly in sync with this young generation of collectors. To whet their appetite, what better than a Christopher Wool canvas and a Thomas Houseago sculpture rubbing shoulders with a Nacho Carbonell light fixture and a Maarten Baas asymmetrical cabinet? Their rapid success allowed the Carpenters to open in 2011 a second gallery in the city where they had their roots… Paris. “It is also where the best craftsmanship is. Produced in limited series, our pieces must be absolutely faultless.” Aware that impeccable quality is the cornerstone of their reputation, in 2015 they bought their foundry in order to have total control over production and invested in an 8,000 sqm warehouse near Roissy to design, manufacture and store their stock, before shipping across the globe. They multiplied their presence at international art fairs, where their atypical creations drew more and more enthusiasts. Seduced by their approach and wowed by their success, they were joined by iconic designers such as Andrea Branzi and the Campana brothers. Their resounding success nurtures the Carpenters ambition to create a sort of Larry Gagosian for art. In 2015, they opened in New York’s 5 th Avenue and three years later set out to conquer the West Coast, first in San Francisco and subsequently in Los Angeles in 2022. “We take risks, but that’s the way we work.” In a few days, its back to London where it all started. From the first workshop in Chelsea, the duo moved on to elegant Mayfair, and have now transformed a former 4,000 sqm factory in Notting Hill into an exhibition area, with a restaurant and a bar designed by “in-house” designers Vincenzo de Cotiis, Rick Owens and Michèle Lamy. And let’s not forget the role played by Ingrid Donat, Julien Lombrail’s mother, renowned for her bronze furniture. “It all started because of her. One day, New York dealer Barry Friedman offered to exhibit her creations. I helped her set up the exhibition, and I was hooked.” She must be proud of what followed. •
www.carpentersworkshopgallery.com
La façade de l’usine londonienne transformée par le duo en lieu de vie.
Vincenzo de Cotiis (exposé en 2021 à Paris) s’est vu confier l’aménagement du restaurant.
www.carpentersworkshopgallery.com
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