Pierre Mouhanna, interior designer, started creating
interesting furniture in 1988. Two chairs from his first
project still adorn his office in Jounieh. “I liked it so much
that I called it ‘Caiissima’, which means the dearest thing to
me.” Mouhanna is also an artist. His painting style reveals cubist
influences. Mouhanna admits to being inspired by artists such
as Picasso, but explains that his architectural aptitude also affects
his technique. “I work with geometric forms every day.” Five
years ago Mouhanna aspired to merge his two talents. The dubious
proved innovative, and thus began his line of vibrant furniture-
art, Atelier Pierre Mouhanna.
The collection is more art than household furnishings, as every
creation is unique in design and mural. “I never repeat. I
won’t repeat,” says Mouhanna. With his chairs, every design
is symbolic and nai11ed accordingly. One recent creation is a pair
called ‘Love at First Sight’. Both chairs have curvy backs of
different heights that, when positioned side by side, incline to
the other. “The chair is a creation, and it’s a painting at the same time,” says Mouhanna. “You can see my paintings in
three-dimensions.”
Producing any one piece necessitates a number of
processes, from conception to execution. To start, Mouhanna
sketches a design on paper. He then enlarges the drawing
and gives it to a carpenter, who makes a prototype out
of commercial wood. From the li fe-size model Mouhanna
sees where adjustments need be made. “Once we decide on
the form, the carpenter executes it in the right wood,” he
says. It takes about 25 days to make one chair. Painting the
furniture also involves preparatory work. Several studies are
first done on paper. Mouhanna selects the best drawing,
enlarges it, and reproduces it on furniture. It takes about ten
days to hand-paint one chair.
A sampling of Mouhanna’s earl ier paintings hang on his
office walls. Compared to recent works depicted on his furniture-
art, discriminating eyes recognize maturity in technique.
Mouhanna says that to give the geometric forms ‘ life’
he began incorporating figu res of women and teenagers in
his paintings. “The woman because she gives life to the earth,
and teenagers because they symbolize enthusiasm.”
Expect to spend considerably on Mouhanna’s kaleidoscopic
furniture-art. The ‘Love at First Sight’ chairs are each
priced at $3,000. A striking fold ing screen is priced at
$4,000. One chair from the design ‘Masque de Venice,’
which is made from metal, is $ 1,500. Most of the pieces sold
so far grace villas that Mouhanna designed in Lebanon and
Saudi Arabia. “I create a certain corner for one of my
sculptures, with special lighting on it.” To gain exposure,
Mouhanna displays his work every year at two furniture
exhibitions in Beirut, IDEX and Art Deco.
People are beginning to take notice. One organizer invited
Mouhanna to exhibit his work in France at the ‘Salon du
Meuble de Paris’, which will be held next January. The fair
attracts thousands of people from around the world. For optimal
effect, he will only display four masterpieces. If there
is a demand for his work, Mouhanna is considering serializing
designs, but in limited production. “I can do ten or 15
– maximum – of every design.”
