In a similar way that personality can be expressed through our choice of clothing, much can be said for our choices of interior design. Yet, most of us don’t think of a single piece of furniture having a personality. One look at the work of artist duo Wilkinson & Rivera, however, may change your mind. 

Husband and wife duo, Grant Wilkinson and Teresa Rivera, collaborate on handmade chairs and stools that offer an unconventional twist on traditional crafts. One of their works, in particular, Windsor with Arms, went viral on Twitter for its unique design that looks like the chair is suspended underwater; much like you were looking at it through the ripples on the surface of the water. This avant-garde piece is based on a standard dining chair with arms. 

“The concept for the Windsor originated from the material properties of the timber we used in its creation,” Grant explains. “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.”

The design idea for this chair originated from the material properties of wood that is used for its creation. Grant and Teresa began with this basic structure and made alterations to each individual piece. This transformed the straight planks of wood into undulating forms and the seat into a cloud-like shape. With the creation of dynamic lines of the Windsor chair, the duo aims to deconstruct the stereotypical applications of a wooden chair.

“Our tastes can be pretty contemporary but we’re fascinated by traditional techniques. We try to incorporate them in each piece: for the Windsor, it’s steam-bending the backrest.”

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,” Grant 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. US-based customers can purchase it via The Future Perfect at a starting price of $2,090. Those located in the UK can buy it directly from the duo’s website. If stone is more your thing, take a look at this surprisingly comfortable stone chair.

Source: https://pepuphome.com/nervous-chairs-by-wilkinson-rivera-seems-to-be-suspended-in-water/