felipe escudero launches furniture line depicting 'fossils from the future'

‘near life’ functional object collection by obio-felipe escudero

ecuadorian architect felipe escudero has recently launched OBIO, a multidisciplinary project focusing on music, video, fashion, and objects. his latest work, NEAR LIFE, is a collection of functional furniture endowed with aesthetics that revolve around the concept of life. inspired by nature, escudero designed each product to feel animated, as if given a soul. 

left: dune lounge upholstered fibre glass | right: dining set includes chairs, table, and lamp

atemporal designs merging high-tech with handmade accents

for the OBIO – NEAR LIFE collection, escudero (see more here) combined industrial, high-tech, and long-lasting materials with soft and cozy textiles to respond to the necessities of daily use. ‘hand craft is paired with technology to mold materials in innovative ways to produce effects that change depending on the light and the user’s point of view. this results in objects that look like fossils from the future, expressing atemporal traits,‘ shares the architect. 

coral sofa is a modular set that provides a variety of sets

some of the materials used include lacquered wood, handmade glass fiber, brazilian onix, and automotive paint. even more, this combination of sleek and crafty is accompanied by monotone and all-white hues that elevate the collection to a level of ‘purity’. interestingly, the OBIO furniture line is displayed in an ecuadorian residence completed by no other than felipe escudero’s architectural studio. titled ‘magnolia’, the project acts as the perfect backdrop with its brutalist and sober accents. 

fossil chair is upholstered, with a stainless steel structure 

thin onix table is a 6-meter-long piece made out of lacquered wood and brazilian onix

left: crack table in lacquered wood and brazilian onix | right: pebble meditation beds

felipe escudero, originally an architect, created OBIO to focus on clothing, music, video, and objects

plastic drip bench: glass fibre + automotive paint

plastic drip sculpture: handmade glass fiber + automotive paint

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crack table in lacquered wood and brazilian onix

plastic drip sculpture: handmade glass fiber + automotive paint

close-up shot of the plastic drip bench

flow lamp: 6-meter-long blown glass that disappears in the day and has a strong presence at night

project info:

name: NEAR LIFE functional object collection

design: OBIO – felipe escudero | @obbbio

photography: halley lee,  saul endara

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lea zeitoun | designboom