Twenty First Gallery

Opting out of the regular High Line-adjacent white cube in Chelsea’s gallery district, Renaud Vuaillat recently relocated Twenty First Gallery to a nearby brownstone. Complete with hardwood flooring, built-in amenities and brick cladding, the new lived-in space provides a strong backdrop for the French gallerist’s diverse collection of predominantly European, limited-edition, collectable designs. Saccomanno-Dayot’s Yaka Oak and Julian Mayor’s Solaris Dark Chairs are placed in perfect harmony with Hubert Le Gall’s Frisson Tables, while Jean-Marc Lelouch’s Osselet Sideboard supports the Tree Lamp by Pucci de Rossi. In a similar, living-room-style arrangement, Mattia Bonetti’s Ontario Chairs are set up around Erwan Boulloud’s Rosanna Table. A mobile by Anne and Vincent Corbière hangs over Emmanuel Babled’s Stepp Table. An imposing floor-to-ceiling bookshelf on the first floor holds ceramics by Alice Gavalet. The stairwell opposite provides the perfect setting for the Volute Cabinet by Erwan Boulloud. Vuaillat’s roster of talents also includes TLmag favourites Oskar Zieta, Marcin Rusak, Bernar Venet, Eric Schmitt, Elie Hirsch, Nada Debs and Martine Bedin.

With twenty years of experience in the industry, Renaud Vuaillat has honed his eye and instinct for living spaces. Beginning his career at the Paul Bert Serpette flea market in Paris as an 18th-century decorative arts expert for the American market, the gallerist-cum-producer went on to establish his own left bank space in 1999. In 2002, Vuaillat happened upon Le Gall’s Pic Poisson Pedestal Table by chance, and it inspired him to change course and look to contemporary design as well. He began reimagining classics with present-day proportions and representing new French talents. In 2006, he moved to New York and established Twenty First Gallery. Ten years on and in a fresh context, the gallery continues presenting new works and alternating selections. Vuaillat’s French sensibility and robust aesthetic hold an important place in the New York scene. In our continued focus on collector culture and domestic application, TLmag captured Twenty First Gallery in nine full-page images. Here’s a sampling. 

Twenty First Gallery
458 West 22nd Street
New York