Philippe Hiquily  (French, 1925-2013) 

Born in Montmartre, sculptor and designer Philippe Hiquily (French, 1925–2013) studied at the Lycée Pothier, the Collège Saint Euverte, and the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Orléans between 1936 and 1944. Later, he studied at the École Supérieure des Beaux Arts, and frequented the ateliers of sculptors Jean Tinguely (Swiss, 1925–1991) and Germaine Richier (French, 1904–1959). Hiquily finished his studies in 1953, and opened his own studio in Paris that same year.

In 1959, he received the Critic’s Prize for sculpture at the Paris Biennial, and also showed work at New York-based gallery The Contemporaries, where he met well-known American artists Jasper Johns (b.1930) and Robert Rauschenberg. He also developed personal ties to Man Ray (American, 1890–1976) and Marcel Duchamp (French, 1887–1968), as well as Surrealist artists Max Ernst (German, 1891–1976) and Georges Bataille (French, 1897–1962), among others.

Known for his works in metal, Hiquily spent his early career creating abstract, figurative sculptures in iron, brass, and aluminum. In the 1960s, he began designing furniture as well. During the 1980s, he created mobile sculptures powered by electric motors. The artist died at the age of 88 in Villejuif, France.