François-Xavier Lalanne (1927–2008) was a French renowned sculptor acclaimed for his surreal animal sculptures. He, individually and together with his wife Claude Dupeux, created a range of surrealistic sculptures that featured animals like rhinos, crocodiles, and sheep. Lalanne, during his lifetime, made many metal hippopotamus figures that featured built-in compartments. Pictured above is the Lalanne Hippo that transforms into a complete bar. Lauren Santo Domingo, Contributing Editor at Vogue Magazine, currently owns the transforming Hippo bar.
Lalanne works like gilded rhinoceros desks and bronze sheep are true objects of desire for the art collectors. François-Xavier Lalanne’s sculptures have been exhibited at many rebowned spaces, including the Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais in Paris, the Museum Boymans in Rotterdam, and The Art Institute of Chicago.
