Irish furniture designer and architect, Eileen Gray (1878-1976) is considered one of the leading figures in 20th-century design for her influence in the modernist movement.
In his youth, he visited several countries, including Italy, Switzerland and especially France, in particular Paris during the 1900 World's Fair: he moved to London, where he was among the first students admitted to the Slade School of Fine Arts (1901) and continued his studies in Paris (1902-1905).
Back in London, she worked at a furniture workshop in Soho: dissatisfied with her designs, she devoted herself to lacqcting the furniture, a discipline that she perfected in Paris for four years with the expert Japanese master Sugawara. She settled in Paris (1907) and began to apply her pictorial techniques to flat surfaces: she did not achieve full success in this first phase of work, although some of her lacquers were bought and exhibited (by the tailor Jacques Doucet for example) and the English edition of Vogue dedicated an article to her (August 1917).
The first notable assignment was in 1919, with the rue de Lota furniture for Madame Mathieu-Levy, in which she "designs every element of the furniture, including wall coverings, lamps, furniture and carpets, choosing particularly rigorous and sculptural shapes" (McHardy). In the furniture, the famous Bibendum armchair and the spectacular Pirogue sofa stand out.
Encouraged by these remarkable results, the gallery "Jean Désert" opened in 1922: thanks to its wealthy clients, its work was appreciated and exhibited (Salons d'automne 1922-'23; 16th Salon des Artistes decorateurs). The meeting with the Romanian architect Jean Badovici convinces Gray to take an interest in architecture.
Thus was born the famous E.1027, home in Roquebrune, Cap Martin (1929) and the apartment in rue Chateabriand (1931) and his house, Tempe à Pailla, in Castellar (1934), projects that testify to Gray's "extraordinary architectural sensitivity, his taste for detail and, above all, his great practical sense".
Many subsequent projects are not realized, although his "Holiday Centre", exhibited by Le Corbusier at the Paris Expo in 1937, stands out.
The full international recognition of Gray's works is, however, belated: in 1968, when the designer led a life withdrawn outside the architectural and design establishment, an article by the critic Joseph Rykwert on Domus re-evaluated his figure. Several performances followed, the Bibendum armchair and the circular table E.1027 are back in production and its products are currently considered as fine pieces of twentieth century design.

Eileen Gray famous works and projects

- Chair Bonaparte, 1935
- Casa Tempe à Pailla, Castella (France), 1934
- Apartment in rue Chateabriand, Paris (France), 1931
- Casa E.1027, Roquebrune, Cap Martin (France), 1929
- Double X table, 1929
Bar seat 1 and No. 2, 1928
- Aixia Chair, 1928
Roquebrune Chairs, 1927
- Mirror Castellar, 1927
Pailla Wall Lamp, 1927
Petite Coiffeuse Table, 1926
- Table E.1027 and Transat armchair, 1924
- Sofa Lota, 1924
- Table De Stijl, 1922
- Bibendum and Pirogue sofa armchair, 1921
- Rue de Lota furniture for Madame Mathieu-Levy, 1919
- Lacquered table, 1915