Workshop, France, 2005
Part Three | New Works
After the conversations with Suzanne Demisch in Morocco, Maria Pergay felt, in her own words, pregnant with ideas and eager to bring them to life. Throughout her career, Pergay believed that the people entered her life for a reason, and the creative partnership she found with Demisch provided her with renewed energy and inspiration.
Maria Pergay Meuble Drape / Drape Cabinets, 2005 in Precious Strength, 2024
Already formulating ideas, Pergay sought out new collaborators who could help bring her vision to fruition—people with skill, patience, and a willingness to experiment with new materials and techniques. She found a team of talented French artisans who not only understood her approach, but also shared a deep connection to her work, fostering an authentic collaboration integral to her creative process.
She sought to produce works that explored the interplay of materials, juxtaposing stainless steel, bronze, wood, and mother-of-pearl. Her goal was to create harmony between these contrasting materials while incorporating her renowned aesthetic taste that draws its inspiration from various styles and eras.
For her debut exhibition with Demisch Danant in 2006, her first in New York in over 30 years, Pergay introduced 15 new works that highlighted her skill in blending traditional craftsmanship with innovative materials and contemporary technologies.
Pergay’s work in this collection masterfully balanced function and ornamentation, often with a sense of lightness and whimsy, yet always grounded in practicality. The Meuble Drape (Drape Cabinet A and B), 2005, for example, juxtaposes stainless steel—a material emblematic of more contemporary design practices—with macassar ebony, which evokes the traditional and natural. A giant safety pin, positioned seemingly to hold the pieces together, adds a playful yet functional element, uniting these contrasting materials in a way that feels both seamless and provocative.
Another piece from this period is Pergay’s Pouf Ruban (Ribbon Pouf), 2007. A sculptural bench that embodies Pergay’s signature approach, the pouf exemplifies her recurring motif of soft, feminine forms crafted from strong, unyielding materials.
Maria Pergay Bronze Tree, 2013 on display in Precious Strength | Maria Pergay Across the Decades, 2024
Maria in the bronze workshop, France, 2012
In 2010, after a solo show in South Korea in 2008, Pergay returned to Demisch Danant with four new works that emphasized her evolving vision. This exhibition demonstrated that while her she challeneged her own techniques, the essence of her creative vision remained steadfast. Returning to the gallery again in 2013, Pergay and Demisch Danant presented Maria Pergay: Secret Garden, an exhibition that introduced works made from bronze and patinated copper, showcasing Pergay’s ongoing exploration of craftsmanship and her affinity for jewelry-like ornamental details. Highlights included Bronze Tree, 2013, a sculptural piece over six feet tall, with hand-hammered bronze branches and leaves of red-patinated copper, and the Frozen Table, 2013, which featured sinuous bronze roots supporting a glass top etched with root patterns.
Table Galet, 2016 in Maria Pergay: Wonder Room, 2016
In 2016, Demisch Danant presented Maria Pergay: Wonder Room, an exhibtion that spotlighted her intense engagement with the exotic and the baroque– a key element of her oevre. Highlights incuded Table Galet, 2016, which showcased fossilized ammonite and rare river stones embedded in a stainless steel top shaped to mimic flowing water, and the Table Marie Antoinette, 2016, a luxurious lacquered black oak table made from a slice of Marie Antoinette’s historic oak tree, originally planted at Versailles in the 17th century and felled by the epic storms that swept France in 1999.
Since Pergay’s first show with Demisch Danant, we have exhibited her work around the world. These exhibitions include art fairs in Paris, London, and the Netherlands, and even returning to Place des Vosges, the site of her first gallery, for an exhibition in 2012.
It is the goal of Demisch Danant to offer a fresh perspective on Maria’s work by highlighting the evolution of her creative process and the enduring themes that define her oeuvre. We aim to solidify her place in the broader narrative of design history, while inspiring a new generation to recognize and appreciate her significant contributions. Through this, we hope to foster a renewed appreciation of her work and ensure a wider recognition of her profound insights.