DARRELL PETIT

As an architect and sculptor, Darrell Petit’s search for natural stone has literally taken him around the world, including stops in Europe, Asia, India and Egypt, among other locales. These travels have not only been sourcing trips, however, as Petit has taken up residence near the quarries in Larvik, Norway, as well as in Stony Creek, CT, where he still lives today. With a first-hand understanding of the stone formation process as well as quarrying techniques, Petit’s work portrays natural stone in its purest form, and his projects can be found around the world.

Born in Canada, Petit studied urban planning at Brown University, The Hochschule der Kunste-Berlin, as well as the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies of New York City. During the early part of his career, however, a stop at the Stony Creek granite quarry piqued his interest, and he worked in the quarry for several years. Ultimately, he began working with architects on various projects, and he has collaborated with some of the country’s most renowned professionals, including Cesar Pelli, Kevin Roche and Diana Balmori, among others. Working on site-specific projects as well as other sculptural pieces, Petit has used a broad range of stone in various forms. His work has been on display at high-profile sites such as the Chubu Cultural Center and Museum in Kurayoshi, Japan; Riverside Park in New York City; the Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London, CT; and Yale University in New Haven, CT. It has also been procured for private collections in the U.S., Japan, Canada, Germany, Ireland and Egypt.

As an educator, Petit has been a visiting lecturer at Yale University, Brown University, New York University, the University of Pennsylvania and the Kyoto City University of the Arts in Japan, among other institutions, and he continues to participate in symposiums around the world.