The artist who brought us the majestic rhino throne and a herd of animal-themed furniture is back with another bizarrely regal creation: this time, a couch shaped like a hippopotamus. Mximo Riera’s couch is approximately life-sized – measuring as a 1:1 scale model – and the black covering is realistically textured to feel like tough, leathery hide. Like an amazing taxidermy model, the hippo’s face is incredibly detailed, gazing at onlookers with mournful eyes.
Riera previously gained fame for his chairs shaped like animals including elephants, whales, walruses and octopuses. Although the hippo may not look as menacing as his other safari-themed creations at first glance, the artist says they’re inspiring because they’re the unsung kings of the savanna. “This captivating animal has been overshadowed many times by other notorious mammals in the savanna, but its intrepidity and tenacity is well know in their environment,” the artist says. “The Zulu warriors preferred to be as brave as a hippopotamus, since even lions were not consider to match their courage.”
