Hilton MCCONNICO
1943, USA/France

In 2005, the Sommet du luxe et de la création (international luxury and design exhibition) recognized Hilton McConnico for his entire body of work with the Talent de l'Audace award. The January 2006 Scènes d'intérieur interior design exhibition paid tribute to Hilton McConnico in a retrospective created by this multi-faceted artist.

Blessed with a sumptuous imagination and an unsurpassed mastery of colour, Hilton McConnico creates a world imbued with a magic and poetry found in all his work. Nature remains his main source of inspiration, providing incomparable lessons in style and creativity.

His exhibition work has helped him to establish a reputation as one of the contemporary world's most accomplished designers. He has designed many exhibitions for Hermès, for example, and created the interior design for the museum in the company's flagship buildings in Tokyo (2001; architect: Renzo Piano) and Seoul (to be inaugurated in 2006; architect: Réna Dumas).

Hilton McConnico regularly exhibits his artwork, including paintings, photography and drawings, at the Galerie Daniel Besseiche in Paris, as well as abroad. His new, limited-edition collection of contemporary art furniture, numbered and stamped, is offered exclusively by the Galerie Maad in Paris.

Since 1988, Hilton McConnico has been creating successful collections for many manufacturers, including Daum, Cristalleries de Saint Louis, Toulemonde Bochart, Lampes Berger, Arthus Bertrand, Lanvin, Drimmer and Tissage Moutet. Some of these collections, like the Daum Cacti and the Pepper carpets of Toulemonde Bochart, are included in the permanent collections of many museums throughout the world, particularly the decorative arts museums of Paris, Oslo, New York and Lausanne.

Before entering the field of design, Hilton McConnico created the sets for about 20 films, including Diva by Jean-Jacques Beineix and Vivement Dimanche by François Truffaut. In 1983, he received a César (the French equivalent of an Academy Award) for best set design for the film La Lune dans le caniveau, by Jean-Jacques Beineix. He then moved to the other side of the camera to produce some 30 commercials and videoclips.

Hilton McConnico began his career as a designer for the famed Paris fashion houses, Yves Saint Laurent, Ted Lapidus and Balenciaga. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, he has been living in Paris since 1965.

He combines a wide range of talents: painter, decorator, photographer, set designer, designer and filmmaker.

Source: http://www.hiltonmcconnico.com/