Jean Gillon

Jean Gillon (1919–2007) was a Brazilian furniture designer.

Jean Gillon was born in Iasi, Romania, in 1919, where he graduated at the Architecture and Fine Arts schools at the National University. He took specialization courses at Vienna’s Kunstgewerbschulle and at Leeds’s Arts and Crafts School – where he later worked as visiting lecturer. In 1956, already possessing a consistent portfolio, he moved to São Paulo, where he developed simultaneous actions on three main axis: interior architecture, fine arts and design.

Regarding architecture, he acquired renown in the hotel business, projecting tens of luxury hotels throughout Brazil, as well as stores and homes. In fine arts, he was a prolix creator of tapestries – usually one-of-a-kind pieces elaborated with different techniques, based on gouache drawings.

Jean Gillon started to design furniture due to his architecture clients’ demands and, in 1961, he founded his first company, Fábrica de Móveis Cidam, later followed by WoodArt, in which he produced full lines of Brazilian rosewood furniture pieces and objects, using leather and upholstery as well. A successful businessman, he turned to exports and at one point he worked with twenty two countries. He collaborated with MTM – Indústria de Móveis Village, Italma, and Probel, which produced his designs.

In 1991, his Jangada (raft) armchair received a mention at the Movesp Award. In 1992, he was honored as Professional of the Year by Associação Brasileira de Arquitetos de Interiores e Decoradores [Brazilian Association of Interior Architects and Designers]. Jean Gillon died in 2007, in São Paulo.

References

• Bienal de São Paulo: Catalogo (São Paulo: Fundacao Bienal de São Paulo, 1963)
• Museu da Casa Brasileira. Cadeiras brasileiras: Museu da Casa Brasileira de 13 de dezembro de 1994 a 31 de janeiro de 1995 (O Museu, 1995).
• Teixeira, Maria Angélica Fernandes. Mobiliário residencial brasileiro: criadores e criações (Uberlândia: Zardo, 1996).