Denise (French) and Peter Orlando (American) met and married in 1945 in France. Peter Orlando was born in New Jersey in 1921. He began his studies in drawing, and later landed as a soldier in France at Omaha Beach where he coalesced with Denise Delgoulet. Returning to the US in ‘46, he quickly obtained a scholarship from the American Government. He studied at the Beaux-Arts in Paris by ‘48 and by 1950 had completed a ceramics internship at the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres. Moving quickly, Peter and Denise became a collaborating force, opening a workshop in Paris near their apartment. Denise created the bulk of the linear and painterly decorations on the unique and classically mid-century forms created by Peter. The function and design forward earthenware forms were quickly recognized into commercial distribution under the auspices of the highly sought after name ‘Orla’. Peter Orlando is also acclaimed for his work in painting, exhibiting in major exhibitions in the late ‘50s, and the couple later opened a painting workshop in Normandy in 1960. This dynamic pair produced and contributed to the enlivening of art in their communities until their final days of rest. Peter died in 2009. Denise remained guardian to the legacy of their works until she died in 2017.
