Leather Side Table by Nestor Perkal

Born in Buenos Aires, Nestor Perkal lives and works in Paris. Although he trained as an architect, his work has always been oriented to design and interior architecture. In 1985, Perkal founded an international design gallery in Paris, l’Espace Nestor Perkal, where he was among the first in Europe to show and sell pieces from the “New International Design” movement: Memphis Milano, Mariscal and many others.

From 1987 to 1994, Perkal was the artistic director of Algorithme — a goldsmith — where he invited many designers to work on edition projects that were highly successful in France and abroad. As a designer, Perkal has collaborated with Drimmer, Lou Fagotin, Artcodif, Veronese, etc. At CIRVA (International Research Centre on Glass and Plastic Arts), he created the Miroirs collection between 1994 and 1996.

As an interior architect, Perkal has furnished the café of the Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris, different areas for Cartier and the Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art, as well as many private apartments and houses. He has been the curator and scenographer of exhibitions held at the Cartier Foundation (La vie en Roses, 1998), at the Galerie Chez Valentin, Paris (“chez Valentin 2000”), at the Passage de Retz (Paris, 2000), at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Rochechouart and the Grand Hornu in Belgium for the exhibition Désirs d’Objets (2003–04) and the Museum des Arts Décoratifs, Paris for the exhibition "Editer le design" (2006) and 100% Finlandia (2008). Perkal has been the director of the Research Centre on the Arts of Fire and Earth (CRAFT) of Limoges (1993–2009), developing strong and lively projects aimed at creating an experimental and artistic connection between industrialists and designers, architects and artists.

Galerie Philia is an international contemporary sculptural design and art gallery representing emerging and established designers and artists. The gallery is the brainchild of two brothers who share a lifetime passion for art, literature and philosophy. Their distinct academic background sets them apart from their peers, as it sees them following a rhizomatic and transcultural approach in the way they select works. This involves combining elements from multiple cultures in what becomes a network of harmoniously interconnected roots, ultimately revealing the beauty of each unique creation. The gallery’s non-hierarchical curation sits apart from the ephemerality of trends and focuses instead on the true aesthetic quality of the piece – alluring and timeless. Unlike others, Galerie Philia does not focus on a single style – whether minimalist, organic or raw – but rather embraces heterogeneity. The Galerie Philia takes pride in discovering new talents, providing them with multiple international platforms to showcase their latest creations. As well as propelling the newest generation of 21st century collectible design, Galerie Philia also works with internationally known design artists. Galerie Philia has a strong international presence, with galleries in Geneva, New York and Singapore. In addition to their permanent spaces, the gallery organizes temporary group exhibitions and artists residencies in first-class locations around the world.