Most of us don’t think of furniture as having a personality, but one look at the work of artist duo Wilkinson & Rivera may change your mind. Husband and wife Grant Wilkinson and Teresa Rivera collaborate on handmade chairs and stools that offer an unconventional twist on traditional crafts. One of their works, Windsor with Arms, went viral on Twitter for its whimsical design that looks like the chair is quivering.
This avant-garde piece is based on a standard dining chair with arms. Wilkinson & Rivera began with this basic structure and made alterations to each individual piece, transforming straight planks of wood into undulating forms and the seat into a cloud-like shape.
“The concept for the Windsor originated from the material properties of the timber we used in its creation,” Grant Wilkinson explains to My Modern Met. “The typical rigid, solid makeup of hardwood presents a series of perceived limitations in its applications, and in creating the fluid lines of the Windsor chair, we hoped to deconstruct them.”
Since the chair went viral on Twitter, there have been many different interpretations of the design—from radio frequencies to a sentiently fearful chair to a piece of cartoon furniture. While there are no incorrect perspectives on this piece, Wilkinson & Rivera see their work as an exploration of wood as a material. “My favorite [interpretation] is that the chair is somehow suspended in water,” Wilkinson adds. “I feel this best encapsulates the motivations we had for the chair—that its solidity and heaviness is somehow reinterpreted as light, flowing, and malleable.”
This chair is available in ash, oak, and walnut finishes. U.S.-based customers can purchase it via The Future Perfect at a starting price of $2,090, and those located in the UK can buy it on the duo’s website. Scroll down for more of the chair and then keep up to date with their latest work on Instagram.
Artist duo Grant Wilkinson & Teresa Rivera create wooden chairs with an unexpected twist.
Their design Windsor, with Arms features curvy pieces of wood.
As a result, the chair looks like it’s in motion, or suspended underwater.
The chair went viral on Twitter, where people gave their opinions on it. Some think it looks nervous or fearful of being sat on.
I WANT NERVOUS CHAIR!!!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/7GfbTNvhJ5
— natasha allegri (@natazilla) January 10, 2022
Wilkinson & Rivera: Website | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Wilkinson & Rivera.
Related Articles:
14 Incredible Replicas of Famous Design Chairs You Can Own
This Swiss Documentary Explores the Unique History of Chair Design
Interview: Designer Creates a Colorful Herd of Animal-Inspired Chairs