meubles
et lumières

Bibliography:

Abraham & Rol (Norma Éditions)

History:

This unique ensemble of three spherical wicker cages originating from the house-studio of Janine Abraham and Dirk Jan Rol, built between 1968 and 1970 at 34 bis avenue du Château in Meudon. Conceived as a manifesto of their vision of design and domestic architecture, this residence seamlessly combined structure, furniture, and decorative elements. Installed upstairs, the cages served as a light partition between the living and dining rooms: at once space dividers, decorative objects, and airy sculptural forms, they reflected the couple’s constant attention to light, spatial fluidity, and the balance between function and poetry.

Janine Abraham, born in 1929 and trained at the École Camondo and the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, developed a refined language of pure forms and a pioneering approach to materials. She met Dirk Jan Rol in 1955, also born in 1929 in the Netherlands, who had first trained as a cabinetmaker before graduating from the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs. Their collaboration, formalized with the creation of their own studio in 1957, gave rise to an inventive body of work frequently showcased at the major design salons of the late 1950s. Their original use of rattan, wicker, and wood, combined with modern materials such as aluminum and plexiglass, quickly earned them international recognition: a silver medal at the 1957 Milan Triennale, and a gold medal at the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair with the Soleil chair.

Beyond furniture, Abraham and Rol designed numerous private houses, mainly in the Île-de-France region, exploring open-plan spaces influenced both by Japanese traditions and contemporary American architecture. Their own house in Meudon epitomized this approach: a construction that placed nature and architecture in constant dialogue, where raw materials and geometric precision were reconciled. Within this context, the wicker cages emerge as an extension of their design vocabulary—objects both functional and sculptural, mediating subtly between architecture and daily life.

Unique and directly originating from their house-studio, these pieces, published in the reference book Abraham & Rol (Norma Éditions), embody the duo’s ambition to conceive the home as a total work of art, where every element contributes to a coherent vision. Their presentation today underscores the relevance of this approach and reaffirms Abraham and Rol’s place among the most significant figures of postwar French design.