abie abdillah: rattan chairs

‘doeloe lounge chair’ by abie abdillah, 2010 rattan frames with upholstered seating and backrest 1100 x 1000 x 800 mm

indonesian furniture designer abie abdillah has just sent us his latest works, the ‘doeloe lounge chair’ and ‘pretzel bench’. for both furniture pieces, the young craftsman utilized rattan, a highly sustainable material with over 600 different species in existence. native to south east asia, a rattan palm can quickly grow up to more than 100 meters in height. indonesia provides roughly 70% of the world’s rattan supply. although aesthetically similar to bamboo, rattan is much more solid and bendy.

(left) front view (right) back view

the design of ‘oplet’ from the 30s to the late 70s, a small car used in jakarta for public transportation, was the starting point and form reference of ‘doeloe lounge chair’. the designer used curved rattan poles as a frame and backrest for the upholstered seating unit. viewed from the front, the arm rests resemble the circular headlights of the traditional vehicle.

side elevation

‘pretzel bench’, 2010 bent rattan poles 970 x 650 x 470 mm

‘pretzel bench’ is a modular bench that utilizes long, bent poles of rattan for its frame. strong and solid, the material is also very elastic, ideal for comfortable seating. the shape of a ‘pretzel’ – a bavarian salty bread – was borrowed for the structural form.

(left) side view (right) front view