Paul Hankar
Paul Hankar was a Belgian architect and furniture designer, and an innovator in the Art Nouveau style.
He was born at Frameries, the son of a stonemason. He studied at the Acadmie Royale des BeauxArts in Brussels, where he met fellow student Victor Horta. Like Horta, he closely studied the techniques of forged iron, which he would later use in many of his buildings. He began his career as a designer and sculptor of funeral monuments. From 1879 to 1892 he worked in the office of architect Hendrik Beyaert, where he obtained his architectural training. Under Beyaert, he was chief designer for the Palacio de Chvarri in Bilbao, Spain , constructed for the businessman Vctor Chvarri.
Source: Wikipedia