maximo riera: elephant chair

‘elephant chair’ by maximo riera

spanish designer maximo riera has continued this ‘animal chair collection’ with ‘the elephant chair’ as an homage to the largest animal walking the earth, known for memory, intelligence and wisdom. the sculptural furniture object is a representation of the supreme deity ganesha through the head of the mammal, who is popularly worshipped in india as a remover of obstacles. further integrating the indian culture, the carvings and patters found on traditional furniture are reproduced according to the original hand-made pieces. the distinctive asymmetrical surface is translated into morph metric data using advanced software.

the overall structure is carved from compressed foam with an internal steel frame. the final object is enveloped in fine leather, allowing all the detail to be refined. although not as heavy as an actual elephant, the chair weighs 160 kg or 353 lbs. the throne, simultaneously furniture and sculpture, welcomes the animal into the human environment, an opposing statement to what has been happening for centuries in the wild.

see designboom’s previous coverage on the ‘animal chair collection‘.

view of seat length: 297 cm (117 inches) width: 167 cm (66 inches) height: 230 cm (90 inches) 

the back of the chair is a detailed sculpture of an elephant 

detail